The Wrestler

[Magic In The Night]

My interest in this flick has waned considerably. I'm leaning towards a DVD rental now when I originally wanted to see it opening day. Stupid idiots and their limited release plan.

It's a staggered release so that the public and Hollywood voters will be talking about the movie come awards season. It's actually a bright idea. Instead of a wide release and taking the risk that the public and voters forget about the film, they're betting that the film is so good that people will see it when it comes out and that will win some awards.

On a thoroughly unrelated note, it's been awhile since I could think of a song that was so perfect for a movie. That is, until I heard Springsteen's "The Wrestler." It's a perfectly haunting.

Yeah, HB, apparently Rourke called Bruce (they're old pals) and sent him the movie and then Bruce wrote the song. I'm guessing that's at least one Oscar lock for the flick.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

It's an amazing performance in a somewhat overrated film.

 

[qtlaw]

That scene he had with his daughter at the abandoned hotel was pretty heavy.

On another note, downloaded Diner and watched some of Rourke there. Good memories...

"I go to law school..."

"I thought you work at a beauty parlor?"

"That's just during the day."

 

[Magic In The Night]

That scene he had with his daughter at the abandoned hotel was pretty heavy.

On another note, downloaded Diner and watched some of Rourke there. Good memories...

"I go to law school..."

"I thought you work at a beauty parlor?"

"That's just during the day."

Diner is a classic if only for that pre-wedding sports quiz alone.

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

Watched Gran Torino and The Wrestler back-to-back today.

GT wins hands down.

Really, both are more about the actor playing the lead role than the character the actor plays. GT is kind of an old Dirty Harry while The Wrestler is as much about Mickey Rourke's career as it is about his character Ram.

Maybe people like Eastwood more, but the audience seemed much more receptive to GT. Good crowds at both.

Thought The Westler could have been a better movie if it played more off the juxtoposition of Tomai as an old stripper vs. Ram as an old wrestler not being able to give up going out there one more time -- especially to '80s music.

 

[kokane_muthashed]

I'm for anything that gives Tomei more screen time in that movie.

 

[pallister]

I watched a couple of those New Jack videos. Holy crap, what a combination of hilarious and disturbing. The video with him, The Iron Sheik and Honky Tonk Man cracking on Abdullah the Butcher was ridiculous.

 

[Simon_Cowbell]

Watched Gran Torino and The Wrestler back-to-back today.

GT wins hands down.

Really, both are more about the actor playing the lead role than the character the actor plays. GT is kind of an old Dirty Harry while The Wrestler is as much about Mickey Rourke's career as it is about his character Ram.

Maybe people like Eastwood more, but the audience seemed much more receptive to GT. Good crowds at both.

Thought The Westler could have been a better movie if it played more off the juxtoposition of Tomai as an old stripper vs. Ram as an old wrestler not being able to give up going out there one more time -- especially to '80s music.

90s sucked

 

[ArnoldBabar]

"Pope of Greenwich Village" (1984) is on right now. Hard to believe it's the same guy. They might as well have called "The Wrestler" "The Actor" -- it's practically an autobiography.

 

[Sly]

Saw the movie last night. Thought it was OK for most of it, really liked the GNR scene at the end. I can see why Rourke was nominated for best actor, but I don't think he should win because I'm not really sure if he was acting. As for Tomei, it seems they gave her a nomination just because she was willing to take her clothes off and act like a ****. Nothing too much there.

Probably wish I would've gone to see Frost/Nixon or Gran Torino instead.

 

[Magic In The Night]

Saw the movie last night. Thought it was OK for most of it, really liked the GNR scene at the end. I can see why Rourke was nominated for best actor, but I don't think he should win because I'm not really sure if he was acting. As for Tomei, it seems they gave her a nomination just because she was willing to take her clothes off and act like a ****. Nothing too much there.

Probably wish I would've gone to see Frost/Nixon or Gran Torino instead.

Lot of time in the gym or under the knife for Tomei to look like that at her age. That might get her the Oscar. Hollywood appreciates fine plastic surgery.

 

[Sly]

Saw the movie last night. Thought it was OK for most of it, really liked the GNR scene at the end. I can see why Rourke was nominated for best actor, but I don't think he should win because I'm not really sure if he was acting. As for Tomei, it seems they gave her a nomination just because she was willing to take her clothes off and act like a ****. Nothing too much there.

Probably wish I would've gone to see Frost/Nixon or Gran Torino instead.

Lot of time in the gym or under the knife for Tomei to look like that at her age. That might get her the Oscar. Hollywood appreciates fine plastic surgery.

You might be right ... And i DID enjoy some of those scenes immensely.

 

[TigerVols]

Finally saw The Wrestler today; the last of the big 08 movies I'd yet to see.

The most overrated movie since The Departed.

Should have figured it would be, though, since Darren Aronofsky is a vastly overrated, Hollywood-elite darling.

The script was pretty much non-existent. The raved-about performances by Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood were virtually cameos...the action was too bloody by half...the sudden flashback to "14 minutes earlier" was a hack's trick...

...and then there's Mickey Rourke's performance. It's good, granted, but it's a 21st Century version of Nic Cage's overly praised Oscar-winning turn in Leaving Las Vegas. It's all one note, very little depth (much like Langella's in Frost/Nixon).

With all the players in the clubhouse, here's my personal picks (not that anyone cares):

POY: Slumdog Millionaire
Runners up: The Reader, Milk, Iron Man and In Bruges (with Wanted and Happy Go Lucky as my guilty pleasures)
Director: Danny Boyle
Actor: Sean Penn, by a mile
Actress: Kate Winslet, as far and away as Penn

 

[Flip Wilson]

Finally saw this last night (it just got to my neck of the woods last week) and I had a private showing...sort of. I was the only person in the theater at the 10:10 p.m. showing.

Really, really liked the movie. Had to look away during a couple of scenes (pulling staples out of his back, stuff like that). Definitely has shadows of Jake Roberts' career all over it. I was a little depressed at the ending, though. I would like to have known more of what happened.

On the bright side, however, my wife woke me up this morning by opening her robe and asking, "Are these as good as Marisa Tomei's?" It was a good way to wake up.

 

[RickStain]

Were they as good?

 

[PeteyPirate]

Yeah, they're pretty good.

 

[Simon_Cowbell]

BTW, the guy who played Ram's drug connection got busted last night... for dealing roids.

 

[Tommy_Dreamer]

TigerVols,

Don't know what movie you were watching but it wasn't the same one I saw.

 

[hockeybeat]

BTW, the guy who played Ram's drug connection got busted last night... for dealing roids.

Oh irony. How I love thee.

 

[Simon_Cowbell]

TigerVols,

Don't know what movie you were watching but it wasn't the same one I saw.

Same here.

If he wants to see some one-note performances, I present Pacino, DeNiro and Nicholson.

I thought Rourke accessed a pathetic reality that a) Nicolas Cage didn't come close to in LLV and b) no one has come close to since I have been watching movies (33 years)