The Wrestler

A long-ago star on the pro-wrestling circuit, Randy (the Ram) Robinson — (Mickey Rourke) — is now broke and broken, playing tank-town matches against rivals likely to use a staple gun on his aged flesh. There's plenty to admire in Rourke's commitment: he put on 40 pounds and looks as if he lost a fight with a truck. At 52, he can still summon the fallen-angel sweetness of his early roles. But the movie is sentimental junk, a Rocky retread complete with a cheerleading Adrian figure (nicely fleshed out by Marisa Tomei). Director Darren Aronofsky has made exactly the kind of bad movie that Academy voters love. And no question, Rourke is the year's chunkiest Oscar bait. 12/17

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