Movie Review: The Wrestler

Marisa Tomei and Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler, photo by Niko Tavernese

Mickey Rourke's performance in this film absolutely deserved the Golden Globe he was awarded Sunday night. He was this broken down wrestler. His character is so touching and sad, you just want to take him home and tell him everything is going to be okay.

From the opening scene until the end, you heart is breaking for this man who obviously has seen better days. I have heard Rourke say in interviews that he could relate to the character he was playing.

Rourke was the bad boy of Hollywood who gave killer performances in Barfly and 9 and 1/2 Weeks. Then poof... he was gone. I don't read the tabloids, but always wondered what happened to him. And now I wonder if he ended up living in a trailer or some rat trap off Hollywood Blvd.

Rourke thanked his dogs in his acceptance speech. He said they were the only friends he had for a long time. Must have been horrible to live on the fringe of Hollywood when you were once in the spotlight.

Mickey Rourke, photo by Niko Tavernese




Marisa Tomei plays an old stripper with a heart of gold. Tomei's character seems to mirror Rourke's in terms of the stage they seemingly love to be on and the cold reality staring them both in the face; their days on stage are numbered.

Rourke tries to reconnect with his estranged daughter played by Evan Rachel Wood. She plays her part perfectly. The scenes with the two of them are exactly what it might be like for the abandoned daughter and the guilt-ridden absent father trying to make amends.

Evan Rachel Wood and Mickey Rourke, photo by Niko Tavernese


Darren Aronofsky directs this film. While trying to get financing, Aronofsky was turned down left and right with Rourke in the lead. Aronofsky made the film on a very low budget. Seven million is what I heard. I am glad he kept Rourke in the lead. A very good call.

Robert D. Siegel wrote this screenplay. I do not know anything about this writer, but wonder if he is an old wrestler. Or maybe he lived next door to an old wrestler in some trailer park in Anytown, USA. If not, he did one hell of a job with his research.

Without giving the film away, I just want to say that I love when we are shown Rourke's character, Randy the Ram, fiddling with his hearing aid, playing video games with neighbor kids in his trailer, and when he is working at the deli. His interaction with the customers are priceless.

Mickey Rourke, photo uploaded on Flickr by robiffic

Also love when he is at a convention of sorts where wrestler's are signing autographs. Rourke is in a room with other old wrestlers. At one point he looks down the leg of one guy and sees his urine bag sticking out of his pant leg. Made me weep.

I am torn between three stellar performances this year for the upcoming award season; Mickey Rourke, Sean Penn, and Frank Langella. Although all performances are great, I think I want Rourke to win. Rourke's career desperately needs a win for the SAG and Academy Awards.

Sean Penn and Frank Langella will continue to work until the day they die if they want. However, Rourke may end up on the fringe again when he deserves the spotlight. This man is a truly talented artist and deserves our forgiveness for whatever he did. Everybody deserves a second chance.



Mickey Rourke at the Golden Globe Awards, photo uploaded by mashnet on Flickr


One last thing, Bruce Springsteen said in his acceptance speech at the Golden Globe Awards for best song that Rourke called asking if he might do the song for the film. Rourke briefly described the character to Springsteen. Springsteen said, "I know guys like that."

I have always loved Bruce Springsteen. And love him even more for doing the song for this film. Bet he did it for peanuts too. Guess Springsteen also believes everybody deserves a second chance.
Bruce Springsteen, photo uploaded on Flickr by nachocorreanet

Kate Wins Two and Mickey Gets a Second Chance

A happy Kate Winslet with her two Golden Globe Awards, photo uploaded on Flickr by beastandbean

Kate Winslet absolutely deserved both Golden Globe Awards. Her performances in Revolutionary Road and The Reader were screen perfection. She won best actress for Revolutionary Road and best supporting actress for The Reader. Winslet was the embodiment of these two very different women.

Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler, photo uploaded on Flickr by robiffic

Loved seeing Mickey Rourke win best actor for The Wrestler. He was that character. There were countless scenes in that film that ripped my heart apart. One that stands out in my mind was when he was working in the deli. His interactions with the customers were priceless.

Others include when he was playing video games with the kids in his trailer, the autograph signing convention, every time he adjusted his hearing aid, and the opening scene in the trailer park where Rourke's character lived.

I loved Rourke's acceptance speech. Rourke thanked his dogs because they were the only friends he had while he was living a life of loneliness on the fringe of Hollywood.

I have heard interviews with Rourke where he says that so many things about the character resonated with him.

Also loved that Bruce Springsteen won best song for The Wrestler. Springsteen said that Rourke called him, described the character he was playing, and asked if he would write a song for the film. Springsteen said, "I told Mickey that I knew guys like that." Love Bruce Sprinsteen. Always have.

Rourke also thanked the director for taking a chance on him. Rourke said that Darren Aronofsky had a hard time getting financing because he was playing the lead. But Aronofsky stuck with his choice forcing him to make the film on a very low budget. Good call Mr. Aronofsky.

Slumdog Millionaire, photo uploaded by beast and bean on Flickr


Best picture and director went to Slumdog Millionaire. The director, Danny Boyle got all choked up while giving his speech. They won two other awards as well. This is a great film that takes you right into the slums of Mumbai and the undying love of a man for a woman.

Waltz With Bashir won for best foreign film. The director, Ari Folman, gave a perfect speech in light of the recent incursion by Israel into Gaza. He said,"Four children from members of my crew were born during the making of this film. I only hope that when they are old enough to see my film, it will all seem unreal and foreign to them because they have never seen anything like it in their life time."
Waltz With Bashir, photo uploaded by guido castillo on Flickr

Surprisingly, Vicky Christina Barcelona won for best comedy. I am happy, but was not expecting it. This is a great film with the sexy Javier Bardem. This film takes you to the heart of Barcelona, passion, lust, and adventures in travel. The film made me think of a spontaneous affair I had with a sexy lawyer in Mexico one summer while I was in college. Even if you never had an affair while traveling, go see this film. It will make you want to hop on a plane for Spain.


Vicky Christina Barcelona, photo uploaded on Flickr



Sally Hawkins won for best actress in a comedy for Happy Go Lucky. Just loved this film. Mike Leigh usually makes such dark and creepy films. Granted, there are a couple of creepy moments, but nothing like you normally see in one of Mr. Leigh's films. I especially like the flamenco dance instructor. God, I thought I would never stop laughing.




Sally Hawkins in Happy Go Lucky, photo uploaded on Flickr




Lastly, Madmen won. I was hoping it would win. If you haven't seen this series on AMC, I highly recommend it. Madmen takes place in the 1960s at an advertising firm. This, my friends, was the beginning of the massive influence advertisers have had on the world. We live in a society of the spectacle.

I have written reviews for the movies above, except Happy Go Lucky. Check December 2008 archives if interested. A review of Vicky Christina Barcelona can be found in August 2008 and an addendum to the post in September 2008. But I must warn you, the review is more about my affair with a sexy lawyer in Mexico while traveling for the summer.

I have absolutely no complaints about the choices the Hollywood foreign press made last night. They were all perfect in my humble opinion.