The Wrestler: 8 out of 10.
I was blown away by Darren Aronofsky's Requiem for a Dream back in 2000. I was less impressed by his follow up, the awfully confusing The Fountain, but he strikes a near perfect chord with The Wrestler.
It's super low budget and delightfully raw, but the success of The Wrestler lies squarely on the shoulders of Mickey Rourke. I don't know how he did it, but the Mickster played The Ram perfectly. He's a completely sympathetic character, despite being a natural born screw up.
Due to the film's modest budget, Axl Rose donated the use of Guns 'n' Roses' "Sweet Child O'Mine" free of charge. It's The Ram's theme song, and just one nugget form the '80s you'll spot in this film. See it in all it's 8-bit glory.
