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Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler is a small movie. There are no big explosions, exotic locations or absurdly attractive movie stars. No, this is a simple story set amongst real and warm people. It’s also set in the world of professional wrestling, which suggests a lot of spectacle, screaming, and spandex, but there is very little of any of it in the final film (well, ok there’s a fair amount of spandex). That’s because this story takes place on the fringes of the industry, where a onetime superstar finds himself reduced to wrestling in high school gymnasium and in bloody underground brawls.

The film stars Mickey Rourke in a role only he could play, Randy ‘The Ram’ Robinson. Rourke battle scarred face is a monument of the years of self-abuse and pain he’s suffered since his brief moment of stardom in the 80s. His story is eerily similar to that of Robinson who achieved Hulk Hogan levels of fame in Regan’s America only to find himself reduced to living in a trailer park and playing his own Nintendo video game with unimpressed local kids today. The heartbreak and regret that Rourke puts into the role is so raw and true that at times it feels like watching a documentary. It’s a masterfully honest performance from Rourke who easily deserves all of the praise and awards that he’s received for the role thus far.

Though The Wrestler is intensely focused on one character, a few other actors make their mark on the sidelines. Marisa Tomei has the thankless role of the “stripper with a heart of gold” who Rourke has convinced himself will be his salvation. The love story is easily the most clichéd part of Robert Siegel’s screenplay, but the actors are strong enough and the finale realistic enough for the filmmakers to get away with it. Evan Rachel Wood appears as Rourke’s neglected daughter and in only a few scenes gives a performance that is as emotionally raw as her breakout work in Thirteen. Other than that the characters are all peripheral appearing in only a few scenes (this is the Mickey Rourke show), but cult comic Tod Barry is with noting for his hilarious scene-stealing work as Rourke’s grocery store manager (the surprisingly funny screenplay came from the pen of former Onion editor Robert Siegel).

Darren Aronofsky has crafted one of his best movies with The Wrestler, although you probably would guess he made the film if his name wasn’t in the credits. The movie lacks the unrelenting visual assault that defines his other movies, instead favoring intimate handheld cameras that underscore the realism. Aronofsky certainly applies some stylization to this aesthetic (it’s filled with long takes), but for the most part he simply allows the audiences to observe his characters and world. It was the perfect choice for this story and suggests that the director is a far more versatile talent that he seemed at the start of his career.