Is The Wrestler emerging as stealth Best Picture contender on the strength of Micky Rourke’s performance and solid backing from critics in its corner? It currently stands at 82 on metacritic, and Owen Gleiberman says:
Aronofsky plays off Rourke’s fallen-icon status by feasting on that spectacular, pulped wreck of a face. Yet from within that mountain of wounded flesh, Rourke gives Randy a deep, slow voice of disarming gentleness. Randy is the soul of decency encased in a monster’s physique, with a buried sadness that, pushed far enough, explodes into rage…
The Wrestler is like “Rocky” made by the Scorsese of “Mean Streets.” It’s the rare movie fairy tale that’s also a bravura work of art.
Could the Academy hand us the perfect planetary alignment of Aronofsky, Boyle, Fincher, Nolan, and Van Sant as Best Director nominees? Thanks to glimmer for pointing us this audio slideshow where Aronofsky explains how he created a visual style for The Wrestler that matches its ravaged subject.
10 Responses for "The Look of The Wrestler"
I’ve been going around talking about how this is the year of the fanboy, as well. Although Van Sant is more gayfanboy, with Fincher (Fight Club, Seven), Doyle (Trainspotting, 28 Days Later), Nolan (Memento, Batman), and Aronofsky (Requiem), this years Oscars could look like the walls of a dorm room!
[I took the "fanboy" reference out of my main page post, Sam, just as you were making your observation. I obviously agree, but I'll be trying to avoid the term because its not a label that's likely to help anyone's image.]
For a snapshot status check, here are the year’s English language feature film with metacritic scores over 80:
93 WALL-E
86 Slumdog Millionaire
84 Milk
84 Happy-Go-Lucky
84 Ballast
83 Paranoid Park
82 The Dark Knight
82 The Wrestler
82 Rachel Getting Married
80 Wendy and Lucy
And here are the only 2008 movies making an appearance on the IMDb Top 250 (so far):
#4 The Dark Knight
#34 WALL-E
#184 Slumdog Millionaire
#211 The Wrestler
#214 Let the Right One In
#229 Milk (in spite of the 6% “oh noes! homos!” votes of “1″)
#234 In Bruges
Kenneth Turan’s negative review is surprising and I disagree completely with his assessment that the movie is “exploitative”. I especially laughed at his line that Marissa Tomei as Cassidy has one too many nude scenes — she’s a stripper!
Who doesn’t love a stealth contender?
For weeks they have held steady (for me, anyway):
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Milk
Revolutionary Road
Slumdog Millionaire (everybody thought this was the stealth contender)
But now I am ready to adapt, adjust, reconsider, revise:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (the cinemasterpiece)
The Dark Knight (I refuse to let go of this)
Milk (the biopic, SF style)
Slumdog Millionaire (the modern version of the Brit epic)
The Wrestler (a lovely sick twist on the Little Miss Sideways Juno slot)
Not an uninteresting slate, eh?
Even if it’s only three of those five, this might have to go down as the year of the Best Director Slate With the Most Great Movies Left in Them.
I just saw this yesterday, and for once, the hype is deserved. The only thing I’d disagree on is the comparisons to ROCKY. I see THE WRESTLER more akin to John Huston’s FAT CITY – also a movie about a fighter on the ropes, so to speak, but not ready to give up, and the community he has with others.
Aronofsky, Boyle, Fincher, Nolan, and Van Sant
this would be very awesome!!!! hope it will happen….
and the oscar goes to david finher…. hehehe
Dear God, that would be the absolute best directing lineup at the Oscars in my lifetime. Aronofsky, Boyle, Fincher, Nolan, and Van Sant – that gets me all hot and bothered. Though I favor Nolan this year, I’d be happy if any single of these nominees won.
In my opinion The Wretler is one of the worst films of the year and the most overrated film of the year.I don’t like Rourke’ performance.I think The Wrestler is a bad and bored copy of Rocky.
thanks ryan !!!
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