In brief: The Wrestler

A very interesting turn for director Aronofsky, if only after his plagued epic The Fountain. A stand-out "comeback" performance by Rourke, and, unlike Sean Penn in Milk, there are some great supporting roles that fill out the cast. (So if Ledger is a lock for the Best Supporting Oscar, it's a decent assumption that it might come down to Rourke and Penn for Best Actor.) The ending faltered a bit and revealed a weak script compensated by soul-baring performance, but this film can survive on its characters.