#1 The Wrestler (2008)

To begin 2009 I watched two Academy Award nominated films - The Wrestler and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

The Wrestler may be my favorite film of 2008, with its main competition being Slumdog Millionaire. Both are movies about destiny and what is possible for the characters, with one leaving you happy to be alive while the other makes you feel like someone just stabbed you in the heart. The Wrestler is a finely crafted story about Randy "The Ram" Robinson, a has-been top-tier wrestler from the '80s. He's loved by the fans when he's in the ring and hated by his family and alone when he isn't. Randy's life has been a series of fuck-ups outside of wrestling all of his own doing. His body is failing him, he has no relationship with his daughter and he's falling in love with a stripper (the sexy-as-hell Marisa Tomei). The film is gritty and real and will definitely stick with you after you've seen it.

5/5