For, back in the 1980s, Rourke was cinema’s very own poster-boy. Where the emerging Tom Cruise was squeaky-clean, all dazzling teeth and action roles, Rourke had an edge, an ever-present sense of danger. Burning across the screen in a series of blistering performances in films such as Diner, Rumblefish, 9 And A Half Weeks and Angel Heart, some even compared him to Marlon Brando.

And then it all went wrong. Proclamations of support for the IRA, a succession of ever dismal ‘sex thrillers’, drugs and plastic surgery saw Rourke’s star fall so far that he’d soon giving up acting to become a boxer, and even suffered the ignominy of appearing in an Enrique Iglesias video.

In the last few years, he’s re-emerged with cameos in films like Sin City and Once Upon A Time In Mexico, but The Wrestler is his first lead role in nearly 20 years. As washed-up wrestler Randy ‘The Ram’ Robinson, he gives a pitch-perfect performance, perfectly encapsulating a deep well of regret and heartache while still showing flashes of the charisma that made him a big star in the first place.

For Randy Robinson was once a big star, as the credits sequence showing posters advertising fights at Madison Square Gardens tells us. Twenty years later, Robinson is still on the circuit, but only attracting a handful of followers and die-hard obsessives. The film details Randy’s attempts to redeem himself, chasing that one last big pay day while also reaching out to an emotionally bruised stripper (Marisa Tomei) and trying to reconcile with his estranged daughter (Evan Rachel Wood).

As Randy, Rourke is simply immense. He may be a flawed character (at one stage missing the long-delayed reunion dinner with his daughter in favour of anonymous sex with a woman he’s picked up at a bar) but it’s impossible not to sympathise. With just one look, Rourke can convey a proud dignity and a deeply sad, wounded personality. It’s hard not to be moved by a scene where he begs a child to stay and play Nintendo with him in his trailer – simply because he can play a cartoon version of himself back in better times.

For, at heart, Randy is an entertainer. The one time that he comes to life in the film is when he’s performing for others – be it in the ring, for the children who swarm around his trailer, or for the customers at the deli counter where he works part-time. When he’s not performing, he’s dead inside, and this is the heart of Aronofsky’s impossibly poignant film.

But this is more than just a masterful character study. The wrestling scenes are exciting and at times horrific, and Robert Siegel’s script beautifully shows the respect, camaraderie and companionship of the wrestlers outside the ring. The fact that Aronofsky can expertedly switch from a baying crowd at a wrestling match to a beautifully small and intimate date between Rourke and Tomei demonstrates just what a superb director he is.

Of the supporting cast, Tomei is wonderful as the stripper trying to make ends meet for her son, while Wood confirms her growing reputation with a sensitive performance as Randy’s daughter. Yet, Mickey Rourke overshadows all in the role of his career. It’s no surprise to see he’s already won a Golden Globe for The Wrestler, and the smart money would be on him to win an Oscar next month.

The ambiguous ending may frustrate some viewers, but it’s perfectly judged. As the screen cuts to black and Bruce Springsteen’s affecting title song kicks in, you’ll be hard pressed to shake The Wrestler from your thoughts for days, even weeks, to come.

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