It was only yesterday. I was about 10 years old and in the basement of my best friend's house. Hulk Hogan could do no wrong. My friend favored Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake. I can still see everything, but after witnessing Mickey Rourke's performance, I can never look back at it the same. What constitutes success and failure? What would you do to your body to achieve it? While I adored every second of Slumdog, this is the film of the year. The film doesn't flinch as it shows the brutal reality of a life torn apart. The flinching was left to Amy, as she tried to avoid seeing what proved impossible to turn away from. Everybit as uncomprimising as Aronofsky's "Requiem for a Dream", "The Wrestler" literally sent large groups of scared Topekans running for the door. This film is not an easy watch, but it is as good as celluloid dreams get. A pit of darkness, that ultimately left me with the slightest glimmer of hope as I watched a simple man live his life the only way he knew how.