‘ ‘ ‘ Don’t call it anything less than a comeback. ‘ ‘ ‘ Unlike the new Guns N’ Roses CD that… ‘ ‘ ‘ Don’t call it anything less than a comeback. ‘ ‘ ‘ Unlike the new Guns N’ Roses CD that came out a few months ago, Mickey Rourke, in one of the best performances of the year, proves that his talent was not left back in the 1980s. ‘ ‘ ‘ In ‘The Wrestler,’ directed by ‘Requiem for a Dream’ auteur Darren Aronofsky, the actor who everyone thought faded into obscurity after years passed without a major role, regains relevance in a big way. In what could be construed as an eerie parallel to his own career, Rourke ignites the screen as a fading pro wrestler who refuses to be extinguished without one last, great spark. ‘ ‘ ‘ The film opens with credits that double as a primer on the superstar history of Randy ‘The Ram’ Robinson (Rourke). Through newspaper clippings and an exaggerated commentator in the background, the audience grasps that this guy was a big deal. ‘ ‘ ‘ The contrast comes fast and furiously, though, when Randy is seen as he is today ‘mdash; playing shows to a meager yet dedicated fan base in small New Jersey fire halls. Though The Ram is never actually witnessed in his state of glory, it is instantly sensed how he exists as merely a shadow of his former self. ‘ ‘ ‘ The film follows Randy both in narrative and literally, through the many tracking shots that keep his massive frame always facing away from us, but always front and center. He is seen struggling with money and has no real relationships in his life. There is the aging stripper (Tomei) with whom he wishes he could connect, and something about an estranged daughter (Wood) is gradually revealed. ‘ ‘ ‘ The film doesn’t bother itself with complicated plot developments or convoluted narration ‘mdash; there is a wrestling match that Randy sees as a comeback opportunity, but after a heart attack almost kills him, the only thing Randy loves and truly knows is stripped from him, leaving him with nothing but his own misery. ‘ ‘ ‘ The film, like many of Aronofsky’s, is bleak, brutally honest and rarely optimistic. The audience watches, for the most part, the propelled destruction of a human being. The irony doubles as the human happens to be one who reveled in a destructive sport that really isn’t a sport at all. ‘ ‘ ‘ Of course, the movie often suggests otherwise. Wrestling scenes are violent, and no matter how much you try to convince yourself that it is all for show, the goriness and outcomes of fights are reminders that real pain is involved, with sometimes deadly consequences. ‘ ‘ ‘ Much of the hype surrounding the movie stems directly from Rourke’s performance, and none of it is exaggerated. ‘ ‘ ‘ Besides being one of the most physically demanding roles of the year, Rourke embodies every nook and cranny of human misery and struggle through his expressions, intonations and gestures over the course of the film. ‘ ‘ ‘ One scene finds Randy trying to re-establish a connection with his estranged daughter on an abandoned pier, and he explains to her why he left her and how he has failed as a father. Though it could easily have crossed the line to disgusting sentimentality, the large and imposing Rourke grounds it in honest and raw emotion, and he turns it into one of the most touching scenes of the past year. ‘ ‘ ‘ The supporting cast only adds quality. Marisa Tomei graces the stripper pole with more sexiness and finesse than women half her age, and she should be commended for having the tenacity to prove that women over 40 can pull off extended nude scenes. Evan Rachel Wood, despite her short screen time, plays the estranged daughter role as well as anyone could. ‘ ‘ ‘ If there is one drawback, it is that the film seems to meander from scene to scene in its middle section. While never becoming dull for a single second, some tighter editing would have made the emotional impact on the audience much stronger. ‘ ‘ ‘ Let’s cross our fingers that Rourke doesn’t stay away from the screen again for so long.