My husband and I saw Darren Aronofsky's The Wrestler this weekend and it is one of the best films of the year. Owen Glieberman from EW named it his top film of 2008. Mickey Rourke has been winning awards for his portrayal of Randy "The Ram", and deservedly so. He may walk away with the Oscar for Best Actor in a couple of weeks. Has there ever been a more perfect match up of an actor and his own personal life and a script and a part like this?
Mickey Rourke was the golden boy back in the 80's. I remember him being just gorgeous and having unbelievable talent. He threw it all away, and became nearly an untouchable in the industry. Look at his face. It has been battered from his lark being a professional boxer, and ravaged from God knows what drugs and failed plastic surgery. He looks just awful, and that's perfect for this part, playing a professional wrestler who was really big in the 80's, and now is scraping by playing American Legion halls. Nicholas Cage turned away from this part, and Darren Aronofsky gave Mickey Rourke the part of a lifetime.
My husband said that the film felt like a "Sundance" film. It's shot in a documentary style, with lots of hand held camera work following Randy around in his dead end job at grocery store, and his brief recapturing of glory emerging from some back room to chanting fans in a high school gymnasium.
Randy has screwed up his personal life, and has a daughter who wants nothing to do with him. He tries for a relat
The Wrestler is simply amazing, but it is very heavy. My husband was depressed after watching the film, but Randy knows no other way to live his life. He knows how to do one thing, and he does it well. The feuds in the ring may be fake, but the blood and bruises are real. Four stars. It's also criminal that Bruce Springstein's Golden Globe winning song from the film didn't score an Oscar nomination.
Watch The Wrestler trailer here.
Monday, February 9, 2009
The Wrestler - Mini-Review
You Fell Asleep Watching a DVD
We've all done it. You start a movie, and wake up in the middle of the night asleep on the couch with the DVD menu playing over and over. There's actually a site for that, with 12 different DVD menus, like Pride and Prejudice and The Bucket List that play over and over. You have to check out You Fell Asleep Watching a DVD.
Hat tip: EW Pop Watch
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Hugh Dancy and Claire Danes Engaged
They've been dating for about a year since they met on the production of Evening, but they just made it official. Another dreamboat off the market. Sigh.
Here's where it all started:
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Michael Sheen's next movie
Well, Michael Sheen doesn't seem to be shirtless, but he does look quite fit. ;)
The Damned United is evidently about Brian Clough, a famous football manager in the UK. Too inside "baseball" outside the UK? Gotta love his sh*t eating grin, though, and the film has some great co-stars.
I watched Underword Evolution this week, and besides a brief flashback, Michael only appeared dead on a slab in that film. Big disappointment. According to my friend Darling Diva, Michael has a hot scene in Underworld 3 that's not to be missed, though!
Friday, February 6, 2009
Watchmen Viral Videos
This viral video gives us some backstory on Watchmen. Who Watches the Watchmen?
I did have to chuckle at the "No Capes" part -- Edna Mode, anyone?
This video is a newscast about Dr. Manhattan. "Better blue than red!"
One more month!
Richard Jenkins on on The View 02/04/09
He didn't even watch the nominations because he thought he had no chance.
Hat tip: Carpetbagger
Terminator 4 Psycho Christian Bale's Just Not That Into You
Christian Bale's rant is the gift that keeps on giving. NSFW!!!
Hat tip: Spoutblog
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Jon Stewart says Too Bad There's No Oscars This Year
Jon Stewart slammed The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, pretending to fall asleep before he could finish saying the title.
Then after Dev Patel, star of SlumDog Millionaire came on, he lamented the lack of the Oscars this year:
Later, right after Dev sat down, he said of the Oscars (this year being hosted by Hugh Jackman, not Stewart), "This is the kind of film that I think would be recognized by the Oscars if they were holding them, which they are not because if they were I would obviously be hosting them."
The September Issue to be in theaters this September!
The September Issue, R J Cutler's documentary about Vogue and Anna Wintour has been picked up by Roadside Attractions, who released Super Size Me. It should be in theaters in September of 2009.
"Because R.J. turns the process of assembling a high-profile magazine into a kind of suspense thriller, we think this film is such a great bet for theatrical," said Roadside co-president Howard Cohen. "Fashion lovers all want to know what the legendary Anna Wintour is really like."
Read my review of The September Issue here, which I saw at its premiere at Sundance.
