Mickey Rourke probably should have received the Oscar.
He plays Randy "The Ram" Robinson, a professional wrestler who is past his prime and is now struggling to fit into the world he's created for himself. His career and fame are fading rapidly, he's broke, he hasn't seen or talked to his daughter in a decade, and the closest thing he has to a girlfriend is an aging stripper played by Marisa Tomei (who is naked for most of the scenes she's in).
The fact that the movie follows a professional wrestler, probably turned some folks away from it, and that would be a shame. The themes in this film could be applied to pretty much any person and any career. It's not a wrestling film, but a film about one's own purpose and the human condition (for lack of a better term).
In fact, while the movie follows The Ram, it makes a point to show how Marisa Tomei's character is going through the same thing that The Ram is going through...with one key difference.
This movie is depressing as hell, but extremely entertaining. Although, this will admittedly not be for everyone. The only action here occurs within the wrestling ring and on the stripper's pole.
This movie really reminds me of About Schmidt and American Beauty in that it speaks to every person and addresses their own fears about growing old and becoming irrelevant. This is especially true of those people who forsake their future so they can live in the now like The Ram.
The Ram's story is so sad and tragic, and Mickey Rourke delivers the best performance of his career. The movie is all the more depressing when you think about how many people there are like The Ram in our society whether it be wrestlers, athletes, actors, etc. Hell, I've seen this story happen to people who were popular in high school and constantly strive to get back to their "glory years".
This is simply an excellently written, directed, and acted film.
9 out of 10.