Mickey Rourke plays Randy "The Ram" Robinson. In the 1980s he was at the top of his game and a household name, but now he's performing on weekends struggling to pay the rent on his trailor and working in a supermarket lugging boxes. He wiles away his hours in a local lapdancing club - with a lapdancer (Marissa Tomei - Wild Hogs) as his closest friend.

That is until he has a heart attack after a particularly fierce bout. He is told that if he doesn't quit that next time he might not be so luckey. It's then he realises that in his life he's driven everyone away from him and tries to make it up to his daughter and to make a go of things with his stripper friend - but all doesn't go according to plan.

This film is filmed as a fly on the wall documentary which follows the wrestler around - so there are a lot of shots of the back of his head. It is quite a moving story, punctuated with lots of trips to the lapdancing club and thus a lot of upper body female nudity. As such it is certainly not a film for children.

This is a film for the critics and is a bit too slow for my liking. I'm not one for dramas generally anyway - but the wrestling scenes were the best parts of the movie, with a real behind the scenes expose feel.

The acting was well done (considering they were playing Wrestlers!) but it just didn't move me enough to make me really enjoy the film. Sorry, but this just isn't one for me.

see also:
Slumdog Millionaire, 21, Atonement, The Last King of Scotland

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photo © Warner Brothers.