I was just wondering what peoples thoughts on this movie where. I just saw it and I have to say that it was a huge disappointment for me. Perhaps the worst ending to a movie that managed to get me to the ending (can't comment on the movies I turned off half way through). I didn't find anything that compelling about the characters, the character arcs, or the story in general.

Yet the hype machine was in full effect for this one. Rourke gave a solid performance, but it was limited by the story itself. The main thing that got me was that the conflict in the movie wasn't fully developed, leaving me personally unfulfilled. A lackluster story with characters I don't really connect with equals bad movie in my opinion.

http://liferthemoviecorner.blogspot.com/2009/10/wrestler.html

Theres my response

Great review, I agree with it almost completely, and maybe I under played how good Rourke was in this film.

The only other comment I have to say is that it is possible Aronofsky it, was trying to comment on how in real life many issues are unresolved, and tried to incorporate that into the film. Except that in order for that to strike a chord with the audience they really have to identify with the character and the issues. If this happens than the audience may empathize and the movie would strike a chord, but the relationships with his daughter and Tomei are hardly on par with Driving Miss Daisy so I don't care that they are unresolved.

I actually really liked this movie. I thought Rourke was excellent and the ending was one of the most poignant I've ever seen. I didn't think that the relationships in this film were poorly portrayed and I still felt a lot of sympathy for O'rourke.

The Gozzfather wrote:

I actually really liked this movie. I thought Rourke was excellent and the ending was one of the most poignant I've ever seen. I didn't think that the relationships in this film were poorly portrayed and I still felt a lot of sympathy for O'rourke.

You're easier to please than me, which proves I have superior tastes.

Rourke did do better than I expected. I mean, he isn't an actor, but I think it was a role that he was so closely tied to anyway that he didn't really need to act to display that. I wouldn't simply blame him for the lack of empathy with regards to the two relationships either, as the script really didn't help with that one.

Like I said in first post Rourke gave a good performance considering the limitations of the script but I would take something like the Salton Sea over this movie any day of the week.

awesome movie!!!)))