Richly detailed, ‘The Wrestler’ is captivating

In pro wrestling, the fights are staged, but the pain is real.

Darren Aronofsky's extraordinary "The Wrestler" begins with the story of a past-his-prime wrestler and takes it to stunning new heights.

The revelation here is Mickey Rourke, finally cashing in on that promise he flashed so long ago and then squandered. As Randy "The Ram," he gives a searing portrait of a man who, having once known great fame, is now unable to give up the hope of finding it again.

In a performance of stunning physicality, Rourke quite literally throws his entire body into the role. Bulked up, muscular and more than a little pathetic, he is organically convincing as a wrestler whose body has absorbed 20 years of blows. Scarred and battered, Randy still goes out into the ring in hope of finding the limelight again -- even if that ring is now in an elementary school gym.

He still has star power among the dwindling crowds, and the other wrestlers all like and respect him. But the wrestling game can be brutal one opponent asks if he minds beingstapled with a staple gun.

Matching Rourke acting chop for acting chop is Marisa Tomei as Cassidy, the stripper Randy favors. And while it is true that 99 out of 100 movies that set scenes in strip clubs or feature stripper characters do so solely for the added titillation factor and the chance for gratuitous nudity, "The Wrestler" is movie No. 100.

Cassidy is a stripper because the situation needs her to be a stripper. And while other actresses only play strippers at the end of their careers when, like Randy, they're trying to recapture the fame they once knew, Tomei's stock will only increase with this role.

She not only shines in her dramatic moments, but also clearly shows she worked terribly hard on the physical part of her role. She is as convincingly proficient with her stripper moves as Rourke is with his wrestling ones.

Part of what makes the richly detailed film so captivating is its attention to the process. Although the story seems minimal, especially in the first half, it fascinates nonetheless with its exploration into the workings of pro wrestling. We follow the painkillers, the steroids and the trips to the tanning salons. We watch the wrestlers discuss their moves before their fights, we marvel at their athleticism and seeming imperviousness to pain, and we feel relief when we witness their camaraderie.

At his peak, Randy's greatest opponent was a fierce warrior known as The Ayatollah. Somehow, it's charming when Randy fondly refers to him as Bob.

Aronofsky includes more tracking shots than are healthy, following Randy as he walks; otherwise, the direction is impeccable (OK, the trend of cameramen not using tripods is getting a little annoying and very old).

"The Wrestler" takes us irresistibly behind the scenes of professional wrestling and tells a captivating story with memorable characters and exceptional acting.

You can't ask for anything better than that.

Contact Daniel Neman at (804) 649-6408 or .