THE WRESTLER

[abcdefz]

Man, I'm stoked about this movie (http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox_searchlight/thewrestler/).

I like Aronofsky's stuff, even though The Fountain had its problems. But this looks awesome. Mickey Rourke back in the saddle, Aronofsky being
(hopefully) unpretentious, and Jennifer Connely... I'm in.

What's also cool is that unlike lots of Oscar wannabes, this was kinda under the radar...

[abcdefz]

Oops. That's Marisa Tomei, not Jennifer Connely. I'm stupid.

[mathcart]

Just saw the preview for it yesterday, and yes I'm way excited, and I'm not just saying that because I saw a theatrical re-release of 'barfly' within the last few months where Mickey Rourke gives one of the greatest performances in cinema history! (But yeah, it sure helps!)
(y)

[Knuckles]

this looks promising(y)

[saz]

I like Aronofsky's stuff, even though The Fountain had its problems.

no it was perfect.

anyways, can't wait for his latest.

[abcdefz]

no it was perfect.





Naaaaaaaaaaah.

I was willing to go with it, but Jackman's character was just so self-absorbed and annoying that it's really hard to empathize with him. Plus,
it makes their "love" story all the more shallow because he has zero depth himself, let alone her character being pretty much a caricature.

[saz]

that was the whole point of jackman's character, that he was so self-absorbed on his futile quest which made it all the more tragic. he was in an extremely difficult situation, trying to beat the odds and time to save his wife. i easily empathized with their very difficult and trying situation. his character had plenty of depth as he had so much to deal with, the stress and emotional overload of the struggle they were in the midst of. i found rachel weisz's character the farthest thing from a caricature. her performance easily conveyed to the audience her resolve and resilience despite clock ticking against her.

anyways, the wrestler looks fantastic, can't wait. (y)

[mathcart]

that was the whole point of jackman's character, that he was so self-absorbed on his futile quest which made it all the more tragic. he was in an extremely difficult situation, trying to beat the odds and time to save his wife. i easily empathized with their very difficult and trying situation. his character had plenty of depth as he had so much to deal with, the stress and emotional overload of the struggle they were in the midst of. i found rachel weisz's character the farthest thing from a caricature. her performance easily conveyed to the audience her resolve and resilience despite clock ticking against her.

anyways, the wrestler looks fantastic, can't wait. (y)

Darren?

[yeahwho]

Just watched this preview (http://video.google.com/videosearch?hl=en&q=the+wrestler+trailer&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=X&oi=video_result_group&resnum=4&ct=title#) and read a few early reviews (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1125849/).

Looks like an amazing piece of work by O'Rourke.

Fuck I'm stoked too. I will be there in the theater before Christmas.

[BangkokB]

Mickey Rourke is one of those actors that I'm always pulling for. Him, Eric Roberts, and Jason Statham are my favorite actors and I financially support any movie those three are in.

I read up on The Wrestler about a month ago and I liked the tale of the tape. Aronofsky is gifted and hopefully this movie will put him back on track. I was not a fan of The Fountain. But TT and Requiem are solid enough that I'll ride out whatever he's directing. This looks like a solid Dynamite movie from start to finish. I love the premise.

[b-grrrlie]

It was one of the movies that bgot all the svreenings sol out at the Stohkohlm filmfestival
(I was a v olunteeer at the pre-sales so I kwnw which films werw gonne be popular)
I might go ands see it thias weekend, unless int clashes with some ot thc other fioms I wahna see,...
I've been wojking s bit toomuch the resent days (not that it shows ont he pay checkI
so I hVBW'T EEBN avle to see all the mmvoeis I anwted tosee.'

[mathcart]

Mickey Rourke is one of those actors that I'm always pulling for. Him, Eric Roberts, and Jason Statham are my favorite actors and I financially support any movie those three are in.


Word! I went to see Transporter 3 on Wednesday for precisely that reason!
In totally unrelated news- I expected you to be holed up in the Bangkok International Airport bar for the past few weeks- I must say I'm a little disappointed you weren't the "brains" behind this "revolution"! Oh well, I guess your heroes inevitably will disappoint you! Cryin' shame is what that is...
:D

[abcdefz]

Darren?



Nah -- I doubt even Mr. A is that convinced. :D

[saz]

yeah, and a.i. and sex, lies and videotape were so convincing.

[ToucanSpam]

I am very excited for this movie.

[mathcart]

So I saw this last night- was VERY impressed, and I think Aronosfky has been making hot garbage recently- but this certainly wasn't- maybe not coincidental that he didn't write it. Rourke was amazing- the character really stayed with me- I noticed I was distracted from work today because I was really horrified about my own mortality and was trying to figure out if it would be worse then the plight of the Ram (unlikely) but goddamn that was one powerful film. Just wanted to sound off on this here- thought some of youse might also like it. Probably would not recommend this to anyone who tends to get depressed this time of year- but I still think they should see it- just wait a bit, no need adding insult to whatever.
(y)

[Documad]

I saw the trailer on Monday and seeing him shirtless put me off. It looks like it will be a good movie but I'm not sure that I can stand looking at him.

[mathcart]

I saw the trailer on Monday and seeing him shirtless put me off. It looks like it will be a good movie but I'm not sure that I can stand looking at him.

I highly recommend it- u don't really know me so that may not mean shit to you so I will share this- w/in 48 hours of seeing this I was so emotionally raw that I went to the darkest and angriest place in my mind I have ever been too walking home for 2 hours in the bitter cold at 5 AM New Years day. And the kicker is I feel totally refreshed for having gone there. Just saying it was astonishingly powerful. But maybe I'm oversharing here... (sorry)
:o

[abcdefz]

Mickey Rourke is one of those actors that I'm always pulling for. Him, Eric Roberts...





That made me watch The Pope of Greenwich Village again. I remembered it being much, much better.

Has Daryl Hannah ever been good?

[BangkokB]

Splash========she said little

[cubsfirstplace]

i saw it and thought it was ok. the ending wasn't conclusive enough.

[RobMoney$]

Mat champ calls film the real deal

By MICK FOLEY
For the Daily News

The wrestling business has been the source of more than one critically acclaimed film documentary - I was one of the subjects of Barry Blaustein's "Beyond the Mat" - but I worried that my vocation was not respected enough to merit a thoughtful fictional screen representation. The chances of seeing a great pro-wrestling movie seemed right up there with the likelihood of a Mickey Rourke career renaissance.
You can see why I was pessimistic about Darren Aronofsky's wrestling project. I received an inquiry early on about serving as a consultant but cited the need to "spend time with my family" as a reason to refrain. If I felt like having my name attached to a failure, I figured, I'd write another novel. Casting Rourke in the lead seemed like a mistake. Sure, he had been in some good films a few election cycles ago, and I'll admit to stealing his popcorn-box trick from "Diner" back in '82. But he seemed unlikely to deliver the portrait of a wrestler that I wanted.
And so I attended a New York screening of "The Wrestler" with a dab of cynicism. Sure, I'd heard that the film had been a hit at the Venice Film Festival, that there were shades of "Beyond the Mat," that Rourke gave a great performance. I even heard that I was one of his influences in preparing for the role. But what did Hollywood know about my business, anyway? Who had they ever beaten? (As we say in the biz.)
I was hooked within a minute. Within five, I had completely forgotten I was looking at Rourke. That guy on the screen simply was Randy "the Ram" Robinson, an '80s mat icon on a two-decades-long losing streak in the game of life, searching for a way, any way, to fan the dying embers of his career. Rourke somehow makes the pathetic seem heroic and imbues in this sad, broken man a sense of quiet dignity and deep-down decency that makes the prospect of not rooting for him - in both his life and the ring - impossible.
I found great authenticity in so many aspects of Randy's battered psyche. His constant need for acceptance - from his estranged daughter; from his possible love interest, a stripper played by Marisa Tomei (who is wonderful, if a bit shocking for any guy who ever had a crush on her in "My Cousin Vinny"); from a random collection of customers at the deli counter where he works; from his dwindling number of nostalgic wrestling fans - is a theme that many a wrestler will grudgingly admit to connecting with. The scene depicting a poorly attended "Legends Convention" where Randy, a man so proud of his past, is forced not only to accept his present but to take a glimpse at the future, will strike an uncomfortable yet legitimate chord with every wrestling star whose personal appearances have ever been met with a symphony of silence.
I also loved the wrestling scenes. Rourke deserves great credit not only for whipping himself into incredible shape - packing 30 pounds of muscle on for the role - but for doing his wrestling homework. Learning the trade at age 52 could not have been easy, but Rourke's in-ring work is good enough to pass this wrestler's sniff test. No one will ever confuse Randy's clothesline with Stan Hansen's, and the scenes surely benefited from careful editing, but much of what Randy did - his flying "Ram Jam," a Japanese enzugiri kick - actually looks pretty good. Importantly, it doesn't look any better than it should. His first in-ring scene, with a starry-eyed rookie thrilled just to be in the same arena with a former mat legend, looks realistically rudimentary. I could have done without the self-induced bloodletting, especially because it seemed so slow and deliberate, like a magician performing a card trick in slow motion. While such acts are a small but accepted part of the business, you wouldn't often see them at a sparsely attended event like this.
Aronofsky also achieves an authentic atmosphere in the variety of wrestling venues he showcases. His decision to cast working independent wrestlers and to film at real independent wrestling shows was wise and gives the film a gritty documentary feel. "The Wrestler" also does a wonderful job depicting the backstage camaraderie among Randy's fellow wrestlers, the eclectic blend of muscle heads, dreamers, athletes and artists who serve as an unlikely support system for Rourke's character.
I have been thinking a lot about "The Wrestler" since that New York screening. Feeling a little guilty. You see, I'm not sure if I should feel so good about a movie that doesn't seem to show my world in a flattering light. The wrestling business as a whole has always reminded me of Dorothy Gale's postgame analysis of her time in Oz: "Some of it was horrible, but most of it was beautiful." We don't get to see much of that beautiful stuff in Aronofsky's film (although we do see shades of it in the opening montage of "the Ram" 's glory days). Still, I didn't find "The Wrestler" to be a downer at all. Sobering at times, but not at all depressing. Despite all the suffering - both physical and emotional- that Rourke's character endures, the movie is sprinkled with moments of genuine warmth and great humor. Indeed, I dare any hardened, grizzled moviegoer not to laugh out loud at Rourke's delicious deli-counter dialogue.
Now for the nitpicking. The steroid transaction seemed either a little too convenient, or like an anabolic homage to Travis Bickel's purchase of enough weaponry to quell a Third World uprising in Scorsese's "Taxi Driver." And I wish there had been some visible difference in Randy's physique after he underwent heart surgery and gave up 'roids.
One other minor note of disappointment for me: I never did detect any of myself in the movie. Hey, if you are going to be an influence on a movie, it might as well be a great one like "The Wrestler." *

Mick Foley is a three-time WWE champion who has written two New York Times No. 1 best-sellers. He currently appears every Thursday on Spike TV's "TNA Impact." This article originally appeared on slate.com.
</H1>

http://www.philly.com/dailynews/features/37322624.html

I read this in my paper today and I think it convinced me to check out the film.
In case you were wondering,...YES, it's that Mick Foley.

[Kid Presentable]

http://www.philly.com/dailynews/features/37322624.html

I read this in my paper today and I think it convinced me to check out the film.
In case you were wondering,...YES, it's that Mick Foley.

Oh cause I thought it was Mick Foley, the pop singer.

[RobMoney$]

Just thought it could have looked like some random local writer and wanted ...ahh fuck it.

[yeahwho]

Just thought it could have looked like some random local writer and wanted ...ahh fuck it.

Not Matt Foley (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uecapxuY-k&feature=related)?

[abcdefz]

I get to see this innnnnnnnnn about 90 minutes. (y)

[abcdefz]

Boy, that was a fine, fine movie. The ending was a little weak, but still.

Marisa has a really nice butt, too.

Overall: 8/10. (y)

[bigblu89]

i saw it and thought it was ok. the ending wasn't conclusive enough.

If you follow the "inner workings" of wrestling, the ending was very conclusive.

He has what wrestlers call "The Sickness". Wrestling is all he knows. When you're so use to "the life" you can't just work the 9 to 5. Cheating death for $25 a night is "easier" than working a normal job to him.

I liked it, although I don't think I would like it if I wasn't a big wretling fan to begin with.

[ToucanSpam]

There are more wrestling fans out there than you would think. A lot of people, including A-list celebs (the guiding light of tomorrow :rolleyes: ) are closet wrestling fans. There's a certain stigma surrounding wrestling in the last twenty years, who knows why. It's no different than Cirque de Soleil (sp) or any travelling performance art.


I'm waiting to see this movie with a friend or someone because I don't like going to movies by myself. Maybe this week. I reaaaaally want to see this.

[saz]

another great film from aronofsky, yet it was quite the departure from his previous work. rourke's performance was a really gritty tour de force, whose character had tremendous heart and was a very decent person despite his flaws or shortcomings. hands down he deserves the best actor oscar. and the ending was fine.

p.s. word is that aronofsky will be directing a reboot of robocop in 2010.

[mathcart]

There's a certain stigma surrounding wrestling in the last twenty years, who knows why. It's no different than Cirque de Soleil (sp) or any travelling performance art.


WELL...
only if those other traveling performers where encouraged (to the point of being required) to use performance enhancing drugs that yada, yada, yada...
The plight of the wrestlers who don't transition is one of the truly tragic tale of our times! (shit even those that do- Chris Benoit anybody)

[roosta]

it's pretty good.

not the masterpiece some are calling it, but its a damn good film.

and (i shit you not) new kids on the block sat two rows in front of me in the cinema.

[M.C. Guevera]

There are more wrestling fans out there than you would think. A lot of people, including A-list celebs (the guiding light of tomorrow :rolleyes: ) are closet wrestling fans. There's a certain stigma surrounding wrestling in the last twenty years, who knows why. It's no different than Cirque de Soleil (sp) or any travelling performance art.


Professional wrestling is a little bit harder on the body (and the mind too) than Cirque de Soleil though.

I mean, alot of people think that the ring is basically a giant trampoline and that these guys never feel anything, but the truth is, the ring has very little give, and even being body slammed onto it more than once a night 200 nights a year does take its toll on you sooner or later.

Not to mention, the use of real chairs, ladders, tables, using a razor blade to cut your forehead. And let's not even get into the whole "Deathmatch" stuff that some of these guys do (as witnessed in the movie).

Also, I doubt that ballerinas have the egos of some wrestlers. I think some wrestlers have bigger egos than some sports stars too! Which has been a HUGE reason why organazations have gone under. The Rock is probably the nicest guy ever involved in professional wrestling...although it's not like he has a ton of competition. But then again, I think you have to have a screw loose in order to WANT to get involved in professional wrestling.

I really want to see this film. It definitely looks like the most realistic potrayal of the business ever made. I would hope some people come out of this with a better understanding of how professional wrestling really is. It's certainly a depressing business when you really think about it. Most wrestlers really don't have a great life after their time in the spotlight is done unless their name is The Rock.

[bigblu89]

I really want to see this film. It definitely looks like the most realistic potrayal of the business ever made. I would hope some people come out of this with a better understanding of how professional wrestling really is. It's certainly a depressing business when you really think about it. Most wrestlers really don't have a great life after their time in the spotlight is done unless their name is The Rock.

Totally. There's really only been 2 guys that have successfully made the transition from wrestling to Hollywood, and that The Rock and Hulk Hogan. And even Hogan's still a "wrestler turned actor". At least most now consider The Rock as just an actor now, becasue he more or less made a clean break from wrestling. Hogan still flirts with the idea of at leas making a cameo appearance on wrestling shows from time to time.

[na§tee]

and (i shit you not) new kids on the block sat two rows in front of me in the cinema.
hee! brilliant.

just saw it at work. it's okay. good. again not as shit hot as people say it is but still entertaining. it's charming. touching. marisa tomei is great in it. quite liked the ambiguous ending. mickey is very good, yes, but i wasn't completely bowled over by his performance.. hmm. don't know about this one.

[camo]

I've been told that it's a bit of a downer so I'll be staying well clear...shame coz I was looking forward to this flick :(

[Rock]

I've been told that it's a bit of a downer so I'll be staying well clear...shame coz I was looking forward to this flick :(

Nah...it was a predictable kind of downer. Just do it.

[bigblu89]

Nah...it was a predictable kind of downer. Just do it.

Yeah. It's the story of an over the hill, washed up, wrestler trying to hold on to whatever glory and fame he still has.

The whole movie has a down aspect to it, but it's expected.

[RobMoney$]

I thought it was probably the most complex "sports" film I've ever seen.

The part that got to me was when he got released from the hospital and he opened the bullshit note with his pay from the promoter telling him "You earned it, You're the man!", and he had to take a taxi back to the arena's parking lot to get his van to drive himself home.
He had no one to be there when he got released to help him with even a ride.

And the part where even the 12 yo. kid couldn't be bothered playing the old-ass nintendo with him.

Deep.

[camo]

Nah...it was a predictable kind of downer. Just do it.

will do mate

[abcdefz]

"Are you okay with a staple gun?"


I hope Rourke takes it tomorrow night. (y)

[RobMoney$]

It'll be flat-out robbery if he doesn't.

In a way, it would be kind of appropriate if Rourke is denied for this character though,...to not recieve any real love or accolades from his fans was kind of the issue the film was presenting.

[mickill]

Sometimes I just want to punch the Academy Awards in the face.

[saz]

yep. penn won because the academy was likely making up for the brokeback mountain snub.

penn was very good, but this was rourke's year, his performance was brilliant.

[mickill]

Penn is easily among my top 5 actors, but yeah, c'mon. The man didn't even win for Dead Man Walking.

The only thing that would have been more disappointing than this is if he had actually won for I Am Sam.

[RobMoney$]

Hollywood is in love with Gays.

[Dorothy Wood]

I thought it was a fascinating portrait, but I don't think it had much depth. I didn't cry at all. and I'm a big time crier. it was interesting to see a movie where the main character made his bed and has to lie in it without some kind of pat conclusion or resolution. I suppose I found it to be the logical outcome and therefore it didn't make me very emotional. it just made sense.

Mickey Rourke did a great job. I was more impressed than I thought I'd be.

and geez louise, marissa tomei is bangin.

[Tzar]

^ that scene near the end when she's on stage, bent right over, up and down.... god damnit. she is very fine.

good good movie. made me wanna watch wrestlemania and become a firefighter. (y)

[abcdefz]

Still wish he had won.