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Capone declares Mickey Rourke's performance in THE WRESTLER the finest acting of 2008!!! The movie's not bad either...
Hey everyone. Capone in Chicago here.
Mickey Rourke is the goddamned king of the universe, both in and out of the ring. When I first saw his performance in Darren Aronofsky's THE WRESTLER back in October, I felt like I was witnessing an actor literally willing to lay waste to his own body and guts just to get back his rightful place in the acting pantheon. And so he has. When I tell people about a new film starring Rourke, they often reply, "I'm not a big Mickey Rourke fan." To which I reply, "Well, that's because you haven't seen THE WRESTLER, you closed-minded prick." There is such an honestly to his work here that it's like watching an exposed raw nerve get hit repeatedly until it's numb from the pain. Some people drink, some do drugs, but Randy "The Ram" Robinson allows himself to get beaten and bloody on the wrestling mat.
The Ram was a god among men, as an opening credits montage shows us as it scans across dozens of newspaper and wrestling magazine clippings declaring Robinson wrestler of the year sometime in the mid-1980s. At first Aronofsky simply refuses to show us Robinson's face. His favorite place to reside throughout the film is behind the head and shoulders of The Ram, and that's where the film begins. We see the dreary life of a faded sports entertainer just as he sees it. We notice that the roots of his flowing blonde hair are showing, his tanning-bed tan is fading, and his scars are plentiful. When we finally do get to see The Ram, it's startling because Rourke's face has changed so very much. Whether it's from years of boxing or perhaps botched plastic surgery, the grippingly handsome man from BODY HEAT, DINER, RUMBLE FISH, THE POPE OF GREENWICH VILLAGE, and ANGEL HEART isn't there any more, at least not physically. What is left for both Rourke and Robinson is a face that wears its years, both the good ones and the awful ones. There has simply never been a more perfect connection between actor and material than THE WRESTLER in as long as I can remember. Rourke plays this man so convincingly because he's lived his life and known his highs and lows.
The few vestiges of hope that The Ram has in his life take the form of two women. One is a sweet, older, but still gorgeous stripper named Cassidy (Marisa Tomei) who takes pity on the man and actually hangs out with Randy outside the club one time, but withdraws into her "I don't date customers" rule when she senses things are getting too serious between them. The other is Randy's estranged daughter, Stephanie (Evan Rachel Wood), a college student who has managed just fine without her father around, but clearly the pain of missing him when she was younger still impacts her life deeply. Both women want very much to love this man, and for totally different reasons they find it near impossible to do so. Tomei's Madonna/whore performance is one of the best of her career; while she looks miraculous without clothes on, she does her best work in a bulky winter coat walking the chilly winter streets of New Jersey. I almost wish there was one more scene with Wood to let us know her brief encounter with her father didn't fuck her up beyond hope, but in the end, I guess that's the point. We don't know, so we assume the worse.
Aronofsky is working from a beautiful script from Robert D. Siegel, a former editor-in-chief at The Onion, who clearly did his research into the downright grueling and dehumanizing grind these old wrestlers go through on the autograph and memorabilia circuit. There is one scene at an American Legion hall where The Ram sits at a meet-and-greet event with other decrepit former wrestlers, and he looks around the room silently. Aronofsky isn't in a hurry to run through the various elements of Randy's life. He shows us with a documentarian's eye the day-to-day existence of this man who blazes through a pharmacy's worth of pain killers, performance enhancing drugs and who knows what else. It's both sad and fascinating in equal measures. Nothing about the film feels inauthentic, and that's what elevates this little film to a grand masterpiece.
Those of you who count yourselves as die-hard Darren (PI, REQUIEUM FOR A DREAM, THE FOUNTAIN) Aronofsky worshipers (I include myself in that club) will probably be a bit shocked by the style of the film. He is a fly on the wall in most scenes, the quiet non-judgmental observer who lets the events unfold as they may. It feels like he is in no way directing the action, just recording it. It's strange at first to realize how loose the director makes his film and actors feel. There's clearly a great deal of improvising going on, but it's all in the name of getting to best out of Rourke, who has never been more in his element. These two should just keep making movies together from this day forward; there's a clear trust between the two that makes your heart weep for the perfection of it all.
One of the final scenes of THE WRESTLER is a speech Rourke gives at a big comeback match after his character has gone through some pretty life-altering health issues. Nothing that has happened in the film up to that point has led us to believe that The Ram would ever be capable of making a speech quite as eloquent. So the natural conclusion I came to was that the words and the sentiments are Rourke's, and he's addressing his audience directly. It is, perhaps, the single greatest film moment of 2008, and I knew even before I was told that the words Rourke is speaking were in no way scripted. I dare you to watch the scene and not simply lay all acting crowns down at this man's feet. Do not miss it.
-- Capone
capone@aintitcoolmail.com
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+ Expand All
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The Academy hates Rourke (or is scared of him).
At least that's what Gary Busey told me. -
Dec 25, 2008 12:45:50 PM CST
I've always thought male wrestling fans had a bit of teh ghey...
by biltbuckley
Ahem. That being said, I can't wait to see this film.
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To teach Fox a lesson.
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I can't be bothered paying money to see this.
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http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1063669/
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What is up with this site and all of the spambots? MCM420, Matoko Bukkake, and this asshole. Fuck.
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Great damn story if he brings home the golden boy in February. Here's hoping.
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Man, I hope he gets nominated and wins.
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It's great to have Rouke back, he's a sensational actor.
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Rourke gets in the center of the ring and tries to chokeslam his way to an Oscar, when really he had just methodically worked the audience to their breaking point, and needed to finish up with hooking the leg for a nice clean pin. Or maybe a subtly well executed small package. Anybody who's seen this agree or disagree with me? (I've got nobody to discuss this fine film with because the people I know are probably all watching Bedtime Stories, or whatever)
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It wasn't Oscar baiting, simply because it was true to the character. Wrestling was the only world he knew. And he needed to put that world behind him if he ever wanted to move on. That was his goodbye. After everything they'd been through together, he couldn't simply walk away and not acknowledge what wrestling (and wrestling crowds) meant to him. Now if you want to see a speech that's getting way too much praise and totally takes you out of the movie, watch JCVD.
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Where he treats slicing meat and dishing up tuna salad as performance art, is the best scene of the year. That simple scene tells you more about his character than 2 1/2 hours worth of Benjamin Button tells you about Brad Pitt's.
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Anyone?
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worked on this. SHIMMERwrestling dot com
It's the non gay Wrestling! -
Dec 25, 2008 9:21:24 PM CST
Downer Director + Downer Actor + trailer park subject matter
by geraldbeans
Wow, can't wait to rush out and see this one. Especially if Mickey Rourke's face is in high-definition. ---
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Oh dear lord.
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Damn skippy, Capone (great review as well). I remember the first time I saw his work, in "Body Heat". The movie was just starting to notch up the intrigue factor, then it cuts to this guy lip-synching Bob Seger's "Feel Like A Number", kind of bobbing his head, and he just JUMPED off the screen. Then he starts talking to William Hurt in this low-key, confidential manner that made me feel like I was right THERE... in the moment. Even then, his self-assurance as an actor was fully evident. He knew he was that good, but he wasn't showy about it. I liked & respected his ability immediatedly.Looking back on his acting CV in the 80's is still a wonder. Mostly indy work, and films which were not always great, but he made them better with the sheer will of his efforts. And he was never one to shy away from an acting challenge, pitting himself against top-notch actors like Hurt, John Lone, Robert DeNiro, and (in the same movie, no less) Morgan Freeman and Forrest Whitaker. He would match them, if not surpass them... no easy feat. Back then, when his name was included in a movie's cast, I was there in a heartbeat. I just KNEW he'd bring something interesting and skillful with him.That said... gotta love the fact that he's back with a vengeance. I expect the Academy will tilt in favor of Sean Penn (a diehard Rourke fan since forever... oh, sweet irony) for Best Actor in "Milk", but Mickey Rourke damn well deserves a nomination, and I hope he gets it. Maybe THAT will straighten out the heads of the suits who still consider him a risk, and make him a working actor for the rest of his days.BTW, does anyone know when & if "The Wrestler" is going wide? I'd really like to enjoy this one fully IN the theatre instead of on DVD.
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Jeez, how to decide, how to decide? being a San Franciscan, I of course hope Mr. Penn gets it, but I have always loved wrestling...
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The speech wasn't necessary but I didn't think it was oscar-baiting either. I think Rourke genuinely wanted to say something to his audience. As much as this is a comeback for Mickey, it's a reinvention for Aronofsky. A brilliant film. Subtle and heartfelt. Never got that with Darren's other films. Been a fan of Mickey's since 'Year of the Dragon.' I was 11. Stayed with him until 'Prayer for the Dying', then I tuned out for a little while. Mickey understands. We're back now.
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doesn't make up for years and years of being a complete and total asshole. Fuck Mickey Rourke!!!!
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Was Rourke an "asshole" to you personally or did you just READ he was an "asshole"? Why the hell do you care if Rourke was an "asshole"? His performance in The Wrestler is one of the best of the year. That's all that should matter. Hopefully the Academy won't allow his past reputation for being 'difficult' cloud their judgement and give the guy the Oscar his performance deserves. I guess it's naive of me to expect those voters to be fair.
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Mickey Rourke was great since Rumble Fish. He deserved an Oscar for that movie!!!
Great comeback!! -
Expectations are hanging from the ceiling, can't wait.
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I'm the kind of guy that still wants to see a Roman Polanski movie when it comes out. An artist's personal life or personal faults are no business of mine. Entertain and inspire me, and you can rape as many kids as you need to. If I need a role model I'll write a letter to Michael Jordan.
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No, I'm sorry... Rape kids and I don't care who you are, you are going to rot in jail. I won't be looking at any movies made by child molester... Roman Polanski's story is obviously something else. He was set up by the mother so she could blackmail him... Another story all together.
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Was ridiculously phony and SO stupid at that point in the film. The movie, aside from the wooden acting of Tomei and Evan Rachel Marilyn Manson's Whore, was not that bad, but then they wreck pretty much the whole movie with Randy's speech at the end. Totally out of character, maudlin, sentimental bullshit.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWBeNUei0SI
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I've never seen him look so contrite and emabarrassed at the same time. It was sad. Where's the Mickey of Pope of Greenwich Village? Or Rumblefish? gone, baby Gone.
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...you'd see that in the ring 'cutting a promo' is where he'd absolutely be at home expressing himself as a legendary wrestler... it's not like he would have been anywhere near as legendary a wrestler if he hadn't been good on the mic and so works fine for me !
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Well said DJ Bollocks.
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