My Predicted Movie of the Year

Its that time of year again.....the time when actual good movies are released in order to be under consideration for the Oscars. I love the holiday season and I usually find myself seeing 6 or 7 movies, in order to catch all the best flicks. But this year there is one that is by far at the top of my list. "The Wrestler" has gotten praise from the critics and is the exact movie that I have waited a long time to see. It stars Mickey Rourke, in a role that he was made to play.....a broken down former wrestling star who now is attempting to get his life back together and have one more big match. It doesnt take a genius to see that the role is a metaphor for Mickey's actual life and there is significant buzz that he could be in consideration for Best Actor based on his performance. The movie gets released throughout most of the country on Friday and reviews like this one by Bill Simmons suggest that it is a must see. In reading the Simmons article, I find that his appreciation for the movie is likely to mirror mine, as we both grew up wrestling fans and appreciate it for its absurd greatness. But in recent years, as I have gotten older and realize the backstage negative aspects of wrestling, watching it has grown much harder. Simmons notes that it was hard to take joy in the sport after the murder/suicide of Chris Benoit and his family, a thought I have had for some time. "The Wrestler" is a movie that apparently deals with just that difficulty....between the public spectacle and the harsh reality of the private world. It is for that reason that I am so interested in seeing the movie and appreciating what is sure to be one of the most talked about stories and performances of the year.