Darren Aronofsky is taking on The Wrestler

[dark_b]

fighting wouldnt damage hes skin so much.

 

[Dr Strange]

The Trailer is great, i will definetely watch it when it hits cinemas.

 

[The Chairman]

Rourke used to look like Bruce Willis and had a similar sort of charisma (especially in his brilliant star making small part in Body Heat and Diner). He started ****ing around with plastic surgery around the time he made Wild Orchid and by 1997 his old, handsome look was gone in plae of what see now. Rourke's current appearance is seriously the best he's looked since about 1989.

 

[Dark Donnie]

Rourke used to look like Bruce Willis and had a similar sort of charisma (especially in his brilliant star making small part in Body Heat and Diner). He started ****ing around with plastic surgery around the time he made Wild Orchid and by 1997 his old, handsome look was gone in plae of what see now. Rourke's current appearance is seriously the best he's looked since about 1989.

I agree with most of that...but I think he looked pretty good in The Pledge.

[YT]IFu8Yz3YgRw[/YT]

 

[Boom]

I'm seeing this. Rourke looks superb.

 

[The Chairman]

I agree with most of that...but I think he looked pretty good in The Pledge.

He did look good there. His acting in that scene is heartbeaking. His best piece of acting, though, is at the end of Angel Heart.

"I know who I am!"

 

[gwynplaine]

Angel Heart still holds up pretty well (naked lisa bonnet never gets old). And the scenes between De Niro and Rourke are electric and have kept their magic imo. I can't wait to see the wrestler, Mickey is the man (I even liked him in double team, the van damme/ rodman masterpiecet.

 

[Slusho]

What is the song in the trailer?

 

[Laderlappen]

What is the song in the trailer?

An original song by Bruce Springsteen. I think its called 'The Wrestler'.

 

[Slusho]

An original song by Bruce Springsteen. I think its called 'The Wrestler'.

thanks

trailer is amazing

a must see

 

[gwynplaine]

Can't wait to see the wrestler, it looks very moving. I would also like to see Rourke as Quasimodo in a new version of hunchback of notre dame, I think he would be perfect and from Chaney to Laughton etc. join the pantheon of great actors who played the part.
Also I'd like to see him as Clayface in Batman.

 

[Alien Anal]

the colors in this film look great

 

[Luchastyle]

Can't wait to see the wrestler, it looks very moving. I would also like to see Rourke as Quasimodo in a new version of hunchback of notre dame, I think he would be perfect and from Chaney to Laughton etc. join the pantheon of great actors who played the part.
Also I'd like to see him as Clayface in Batman.

man. rourke is an inspired choice for clayface. after seeing clips of the wrestler, you can see how sympathetic a character he can play. i also naturally thought perlman for clayface, but rourke would be pretty dead on.

and he would work quite well as quasimodo, however, i don't know if anyone could pull off a hunchback of notre dame movie nowadays.

 

[Eggyman]

I completely dismissed this film when I first heard of it - 'The Wrestler'? Pshh!

I've just finished slapping myself for that since seeing the trailer. This film looks great.

Rourke doesn't look as ugly as he did in Sin City

 

[gwynplaine]

man. rourke is an inspired choice for clayface. after seeing clips of the wrestler, you can see how sympathetic a character he can play. i also naturally thought perlman for clayface, but rourke would be pretty dead on.

and he would work quite well as quasimodo, however, i don't know if anyone could pull off a hunchback of notre dame movie nowadays.

Perlman would be great too and I think you are also right for the hunchback movie (maybe it could be an HBO film or something but I agree not for the big screen), Rourke could so bring all the pathos and strength that Quasimodo requires. Oh, and your new avvy rocks, another film I can't wait to seet:.

 

[Luchastyle]

thanks gwyn =) i would like to expand on it, but don't have any more ideas yet =D

 

[Rac]

Rourke doesn't look as ugly as he did in Sin City

I think he looks far more uglier in this than in Sin City (where he had prostethics).

 

[gwynplaine]

Great pictures, thanks for posting them.

 

[Nivek]

Anyone notice the strong resemblance to an older Bret Hart?

 

[Whiskey Tango]

The trailer alone packs more emotional punch than 90% of the movies I've seen this year. I hope the chatter about Rourke's performance is legit, I'd love for Mickey to get an Oscar nod...a win would be even cooler.

And DAMN! How about Marissa? The more she ages, the hotter she gets. No lie.

I'm not much of a wrestling fan anymore and I'm not all that familiar with Aronofsky's work either but this trailer sold me after the first viewing. It reminds me of Jake "The Snake" Roberts and Beyond the Mat...I was always a Snake fan and while I guess this isn't based on him the plot with the estranged daughter reminds me of Jake quite a bit. The image of a broken down wrestler performing in high schools, hanging on to what he loves, hoping for one last shot at the big time conjures up images of Terry Funk for me too. Not a bad thing.

 

[[A]]

The trailer alone packs more emotional punch than 90% of the movies I've seen this year. I hope the chatter about Rourke's performance is legit, I'd love for Mickey to get an Oscar nod...a win would be even cooler.

Indeed. I hope the movie is half as good as the trailer!

 

[Assassin32]

I hope this movie cleans up at the Oscars.

 

[The Sage]

http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/Guest_Editorials_16/article_28155.shtml

Review of The Wrestler:

Spoiler

I saw "The Wrestler" last night and wanted to give you my opinion. It was the last feature of the 2008 St. Louis Film Festival. Our tickets were bought about two weeks in advance, and it's a good thing because it was sold out by the time we arrived at the theater.

To me - and I assume most wrestling fans - the most important aspect of judging this film is authenticity. This is a serious treatment of the professional wrestling business, and the re-creation of that world as it pertains to one particular wrestler is impeccable. The usual stereotypes are present, but nothing is used in an overly sensational way. The film is very matter-of-fact about all the dangers, temptations, and consequences that Mickey Rourke's character, Randy "The Ram" Robinson, encounters and lets the audience members judge him for themselves.

There is no expository background story about The Ram and how he ended up as a 40-something weekend wrestler in declining health after having a huge run of success in the late 1980s. The first time he's shown, The Ram sits alone in an elementary school room slowly pulling of his elbow pads after wrestling in the gymnasium. The promoter apologetically hands him a few folded dollar bills, saying he'd hoped the gate would be better. The film production is reminiscent of a documentary; the picture is slightly grainy and the camera is handheld. The camera is very often positioned behind The Ram's shoulder as he goes about his day which adds to the straightforward, matter-of-fact way this film is presented.

As the camera follows The Ram at his day job at a grocery store, to the strip club Cheeques where he's a regular customer, and to his weekend matches with various independent companies, the aimlessness of his character is revealed in a big way. The Ram has little direction in his life. It is only after a sudden heart attack after a particularly violent match that he makes a real effort to connect to the few people still around him.

Rourke's portrayal of The Ram is authentic and sensitive. It is his performance that would make or break the film, no matter how serious the overall treatment is. It would have been easy for him to rely on stereotypes or hammy gestures and expressions which would have resulted in the two-dimensional character that the mainstream public thinks of when they hear "pro wrestler."

Rourke, however, creates an easy-going, charming, well-rounded human being with serious faults and who isn't always likeable. It's easy to understand how The Ram became a huge superstar in his heyday. He's a charismatic and genuinely nice guy who accepts the physical punishment as an almost mundane part of his life. In one scene, The Ram nonchalantly points out several deep scars as he describes some of his worst in-ring injuries.

The film is essentially a study of The Ram's efforts to save the few personal relationships he still has left. He has an adult daughter (Evan Rachel Wood) whom he hasn't seen or spoken to in years. He has also forged a friendship with Cassidy (Marisa Tomei), a stripper who becomes his confidante and encourages him to reach out to his daughter.

The relationship between The Ram and his daughter feels a little bit forced in both directions - when she's angry at him, she's VERY angry and when she's accepting, she softens almost immediately. This is a small issue, however, and doesn't take away from the finished product.

It's clear from the portrayals of The Ram's personal relationships that no one knows who the real person is no matter how close they come to him. There is a scene where The Ram tells Cassidy that after his heart attack, he doesn't want to be alone. There is a sense that he's making an effort to reach out to her in a way he hasn't with anyone else before in his life. By the end of the film, The Ram comes to a conclusion that gives him new direction, but it's not the one he would have wanted had he lived his life differently.

The Wrestler is definitely worth seeing for both wrestling fans and non-fans. It plays like a genuine portrayal of one person's life who just happens to be a pro wrestler. As a fan, I would have been happy with anything that was a step above "Ready to Rumble."

It was also fun to see the cameos by numerous pro wrestlers such as Necro Butcher, Ron Killings, and Ernest Miller, who actually has a fairly significant role. On the other hand, it was difficult to watch sometimes knowing that for the most part the subject matter is not exaggerated. This film is going to hit close to home for a lot of fans.

 

[nite-owl]

Great review, I hope this opens up near where I live.

 

[Hunter Rider]