WWF documentary is OK for older teens.

Documentaries are almost always more interesting if the filmmakers fess up about their relationship to the subject, as unabashed pro-wrestling fan Barry Blaustein does in this naively made, compelling homage to the sport.

A gently and genuinely observed film whose subject is a garish, artificial display of mayhem.

There's no need to be a fan of American wrestling to enjoy Beyond the Mat. Blaustein concentrates on the idea of people living out dreams rather than the life of a wrestler, and in doing so succeeds in showing the brutal reality behind the pantomime.