Thursday, February 5, 2009
Mickey Rourke gives a tour de force performance in The Wrestler. Tour de Force is defined, according to www.dictionary.com, as an exceptional achievement by an artist, author, or the like, that is unlikely to be equaled by that person or anyone else.
Rourke plays Randy “The Ram” Robinson, a middle-aged, washed-up pro wrestler who has nothing to show of his former glory other than his scars and a dirty trailer. Rourke is captivating, not only slamming men in tights with folding chairs, but also trying to rekindle a relationship with his wayward daughter (Evan Rachel Wood).
Rourke’s powerful performance coupled with director Darren Aronofsky’s masterful cinematography makes The Wrestler feel almost like a documentary rather than a major Hollywood film. Aronofsky, who also directed Requiem for a Dream and Pi, makes a movie film so powerful and poignant one forgets they are watching middle-aged men giving each other suplexes and half-nelsons.
Marisa Tomei also gives one of her best performances ever as Cassidy, a single mother and stripper who plays Randy’s love interest.
It is Rourke’s performance, however, that makes this movie so incredible. No other actor could have played the role of “The Ram” better than Rourke. This is the greatest performance of Rourke’s career, and he should win the Academy Award for best actor.
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