What’s the Frequency, Kenneth?

The Wrestler, if you go by Rotten Tomatoes, is clocking in as one of the highest rated movies of the year at a whopping 97%. I am no critic but I dare say I agree with that assessment. However, and weirdly enough, there is always one surprise when it comes to critics. Just when you think you know what they’re going to do they go and do something different, which is perhaps why Kenneth Turan’s pan of The Wrestler done methed with my head. How does one person with such great taste go so woefully wrong?¬†¬† I never tell you not to listen to critics but with The Wrestler, you have to trust me on this one, don’t listen to that critic. We love you, Kenny, you know this is true. Our years of devotion have proved it.

The Wrestler, then, has a much lower Metacritic score than it might have had, what with all of those 100’s. Scroll down and OUCH, Turan’s lands with a 50 bringing the overall score to 79%. 97 versus 79. Weird, huh? The Wrestler is quite easily one of the best films of 2008 and will go down as such. The three critics who missed the boat this time (and will live to regret it in, oh I’d say about five years) are Turan, TIME’s Richard Corliss and Salon’s Stephanie Zachareck. I think, if I may give an opinion on this, that they are, as a famous archaeologist once said, “digging in the wrong place.” They’re looking for another movie and failing to see this one.