great review. i have yet to see this movie (i know, i know – its in my netflix queue)…. but i am excited to sit back and watch this movie soon. i think the reason for the film being overlooked is its brutal honesty. I think that as artists and creatives we love these types of movies for their dark pessimistic undertones that permeates the story, we root for them but also know that in the end they may lose their fight with the antagonist (whether it be a person, a circumstance, or in the Wrestler's case his past). Hollywood embraces the optimistic 'fairy tale' type story that doesn't have much internal battle as it does external.

I think that is why you prefer European cinema as the endings aren't as scripted as the normal Hollywood blockbuster, and the characters in these genre of film are a mix of evil/good rather than all good or all evil. Like I mentioned earlier the internal battle is the more endearing as we can relate to the humanness… because of this they are sticky as they stay with the viewer long after the credits roll. As opposed to the summer blockbuster that entertains but is does not cause one to internalize and ruminate over.

Good thoughts!