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| billyweeds |
 Posted: Wed Dec 24, 2008 4:30 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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| The Wrestler is must-see viewing without being a great film. Mickey Rourke as a down-and-out professional wrestler is memorable. He has the talent and panache and delicacy of a born screen actor, and creates an indelible character--a terribly flawed and alcoholic "loser" with a huge heart and a sweet nature. He is superbly supported by Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood, and the movie has incredible, squirm-inducing, but extremely entertaining wrestling sequences. That said, the story gets a little predictable toward the end, and more than a little draggy in spots. But the final scene is great. All in all, as I said, a must. |
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| mo_flixx |
| Posted: Wed Dec 24, 2008 7:03 pm |
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Joined: 30 May 2004
Posts: 12533
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billyweeds wrote: The Wrestler is must-see viewing without being a great film. Mickey Rourke as a down-and-out professional wrestler is memorable. He has the talent and panache and delicacy of a born screen actor, and creates an indelible character--a terribly flawed and alcoholic "loser" with a huge heart and a sweet nature. He is superbly supported by Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood, and the movie has incredible, squirm-inducing, but extremely entertaining wrestling sequences. That said, the story gets a little predictable toward the end, and more than a little draggy in spots. But the final scene is great. All in all, as I said, a must.
You've left us kind of hanging here. Is Mickey's performance Oscar-worthy? Please clue us in. Does he have the stuff to compete with either Langella or Penn?
I did see the coming attractions for this film. It looked good but what I really couldn't believe was how MUCH Rourke looked the part. It was amazing.
He looks a lot like "Dog" the Bounty Hunter on TV.
Rourke's face was a mess, but his body was incredible - just exactly what I'd imagine the part would require. |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Wed Dec 24, 2008 10:28 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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| Rourke is definitely in the running for the Oscar. I liked his performance every bit as much as Penn's or Langella's. And, yes, his body is amazingly buff for someone as ravaged facially as he seems to be (though wasn't on Letterman last night). |
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| marantzo |
| Posted: Wed Dec 24, 2008 10:55 pm |
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| He became a boxer when he was out of the film business. It's not any surprise that he is built. |
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| inlareviewer |
| Posted: Wed Dec 24, 2008 11:25 pm |
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Joined: 05 Jul 2004
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Location: Lawrence, KS
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Mickey told The Letterman last night that he'd never been a wrestler or a fan of the sport, and he'd never done heavy-duty weight lifting until this role was offered to him. Of course Battered Rourke is in the running for a Racso. Always was, from the moment the film first screened at I forget which festival. His challenge, much like Richard Milhouse Langella's obstacle in overcoming the Curse of the Broadway Repeater and general sense that an at-last nod will be reward enough, is whether Hollywood's Resurrected Has-Been can rebuild enough bridges to convince more than the actors branch to vote for him once he makes the ballot. That didn't work for, oh, Judy in A Star is Born, but it's a different era in Hooeywide...NOT. Mickey's The Dark Horse, Frank remains The Principal Threat. Until other derbys, as in the SAGGYs and Globules and Critics Choosers, have been heard from otherwise, the awhored is increasingly considered Harvey Penn's to lose. They don't love Leo that much, and the Ex-Mr. Aniston's highly unlikely to land a nod (see below).
Of course, there's also a chance that East Clintwood nabs the slot that by rights belongs to Widowered Visiting Drummer Jenkins and wins the True Grit Sentimental Honorarium.
Meanwhile, Bunjamin Betton got a flat-out pan from Uncle Kenneth,
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-button25-2008dec25,0,4200221.story
and, despite as full-scale a frontal Racso ad attack as any the sayzun has thus seen, unless it makes more dinero than a nearly 3-hour film seems likely to do in this economy, the odds for Tenement Hound Ten Hundred Thousandaire, David/Dick and MooJuice are increased commensurately. If the advance word on Leo and Kate, Kate, Fairest Winslet in Mendes-dom is accurate (career-best from him, top-of-game from her), and the whole of Rovolutionary Read isn't too sterile, sour and Sampressing (because the novel certainly is a brilliant downer), it may sneak in there, though Uncertainty, The Noir Sir, and some other film I'm forgetting, have better shots at the moment.
Ah, faith n' begorra, 'tis Derby O'Gold and the Latte People.
Happy holidays to one and all. Off to a fete, then home to watch The Nutcracker and cavort, Amahl and weep. and the final section of St. Louis before I sleep. Have yourself a merry little whatever you observe. inla out
And yes, I lied. To edit is to live. |
Last edited by inlareviewer on Fri Dec 26, 2008 6:39 pm; edited 1 time in total
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| Syd |
| Posted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 12:09 am |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
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| Hmmm. I wasn't going to see Revolutionary Road, but I'm hearing good things about it. I've liked all the Sam Mendes films. It sounds like I should trust him on this one, |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 12:33 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: New York City
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Syd wrote: Hmmm. I wasn't going to see Revolutionary Road, but I'm hearing good things about it. I've liked all the Sam Mendes films. It sounds like I should trust him on this one,
I think Sam Mendes is among the most overrated talents alive and Revolutionary Road sounds like the ultimate downer. But I'll still be there, thanks to the reunion of Leo and Kate, both of whom I love. |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 1:00 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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| Benjamin Button, despite some raves, sounds like a must to avoid. |
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| Joe Vitus |
| Posted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 1:38 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 14498
Location: Houston
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| I understand Sam Mendes is supposed to be directing the movie version of Follies. No, please no. |
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| Syd |
| Posted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 3:15 am |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
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billyweeds wrote: Benjamin Button, despite some raves,, sounds like a must to avoid.
It's being compared to Forrest Gump, which suggests to me a critical kiss of death. It looks to me like a trivial effort posed at great length in the hope that critics think it is somehow significant. My impression is that it's insufferable, overbearing, will die at the box office, and be promptly forgotten. |
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I had a love and my love was true but I lost my love to the yabba dabba doo, --The Flintstone Lament |
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| marantzo |
| Posted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 10:05 am |
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Benjamin Button was likened to Forrest Gump by a local critic also. His review was tepid at best. Count me out.
I just looked up Sam Mendes and if he is rated anything more than average, he is overrated.
So far all the reviews of Valkerie that I have heard or read say the same thing, Cruise torpedoes the picture. A terrible performance surrounded by a host of finely acted secondary roles by real actors.
Picking Tom Cruise for this part had to be a crass attempt at big BO. Happily this stupid choice looks like a disaster in the making. |
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| mo_flixx |
| Posted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 10:20 am |
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Joined: 30 May 2004
Posts: 12533
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There are just two local movie choices today (I've already eliminated "Valkyrie" - the NY Times review says Tom Cruise turns WWII into a boy's adventure - ouch!). "Marley and Me" and "Benj. Button." Neither of which excites me too much, esp. after reading today's NY Times review of "Marley."
Plus it's snowing A LOT. It may be a good day to stay home and watch DVD's. |
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| marantzo |
| Posted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 10:27 am |
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| Seven Pounds or Yes Man, might be entertaining enough. |
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| lissa |
| Posted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 12:17 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 2148
Location: my computer
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Did no one read The Tale of Despereaux and wish to see the movie? Tsk!
(BTW if anyone can find me a place to buy a plush Despereaux, I'd be ever so grateful) |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 12:31 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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| Frost/Nixon, The Wrestler, and--above all--Slumdog Millionaire are the ones to catch this weekend. |
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