I watched The Wrestler at Chel's suggestion. It was okay. Some parts were too emotional to be taken seriously, but Ram's struggle required them. I think Aronofsky ripped off Taxi Driver and Rocky, and the Sopranos when it came to the beginning and ending of the film, respectively, but it was still enjoyable overall. There were some awkward moments, like the black bouncer never getting his drugs, Ram being kicked out of his place, and the kids not respecting him, and I think those could have been used to make the story more cogent. Instead, they squeezed as much as they could out of his dynamic with Tomei's character. I don't think they had a bad dynamic, but the focus on this makes the movie seem like a failed HBO pilot. I wouldn't be surprised if someone at Netflix has posed the idea of a remake as a series.
I think a lot of people, especially pro-wrestlers, probably don't understand the point of the movie and only see it as a guy consumed by his ego and past. What I mean by this is that it's a film totally opposite to The Whale. If Ram's van had been towed and someone else had moved into his place, I think the ending would have been more ambiguous to viewers.
I think Rourke was just too old for the role. He's meant to be a man between forty and sixty, but he looks well into his sixties. He was 56 at the time, which does fit the criteria, but then they made him look older. Plus, there's the fact that it's Rourke.
I think The Iron Claw ripped off Rourke's appearance in this for Efron's character.