Two of this year's heavyweights live up to their respective hype.

On the strength of the brilliant awe-inspiring performance  by Mickey Rourke and the long known talents of filmmaker Darren Aronofsky, The Wrestler holds up as one of this year's most impressive films.  It's a gritty, gruesome, yet undeniably moving portrait of a broken soul continuing to do the only thing he has ever been good at, wrestling.  With this his fourth feature film under his belt, Aronofsky has solidified himself as one of the premiere American directors in contemporary cinema. ~ 8.5

Sam Mendes can do no wrong in my books.  In reuniting Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCapiro, Revolutionary Road is a facinating, though depressing look at suburban America in the 1950s.  Make no mistake about it this is an dark, pessimistic 

exploration into the feelings of entrapment frequently experienced among America families of the period; with the father trapped in a job he hated, and the mother herself trapped in the home and her domestic responsibilities.  Everything about this film is typical Mendes, right down the somber musical score and the devastating conclusion.  In what has been a rather mediocre year,  this film is definitely one of its highlights and should not be missed. ~ 8.5

Christopher Misch

Next Projection, Managing Editor and Contributor