Have you seen The Wrestler yet? It’s funny that half the people I talk to about the movie barely know who Mickey Rourke is. And the other half of the people speak of him almost reverentially. Like a sports fan might speak of what might have been if Bo hadn’t gotten hurt. Anyway, in The Wrestler, Rourke plays a has-been professional wrestler struggling with what is left of his life. It’s a sobering, powerful movie that made me cringe repeatedly. All that’s left from the crop of 08 that I want to check out is Gran Torino, but right now I’d say that The Wrestler is my favorite of the year.

As a side note, for anyone who took my previous recommendation and started to read A Fine Balance (recommended if you liked Slumdog) should probably also check out Family Matters. It’s also by Rohinton Mistry and has that same captivating, heavy power.