teapot2001
Senior HTF Member
- Joined
- Apr 20, 1999
- Messages
- 3,649
- Real Name
- Thi
I saw it a few hours ago, and it is still haunting me.
A lot has already been said about Mickey Rourke's performance. But I'll start off with saying that Darren Aronofsky has probably never been better with his directing. First off, all three actors deliver their finest performances under Aronofsky. Gone is the visual flair of his previous films, but Aronofsky brings an immediate documentary feel that fits the story really well. He's able to use ordinary locations that depict this lonely and bleak world the wrestler tries to blend into. Some say it's shot in a standard way, but I disagree; the shot selection is quite impressive, sometimes you have a bird's-eye-view or a fly-on-the-wall's view of Rourke's isolation, at other times you are brought up close to the physical in ring pain of Rourke and his emotional pain. There's also 360 degree rotating shots, POV shots, and a brilliant tracking shot. Aronofsky's sound design is also there but like the visuals, quite subdued but nonetheless highly effective.
The screenplay is great. There are some familiar elements from other sports movies, but there is an ambguiity and complexity unseen before, and things don't always turn out as you'd expect. It's a deeply moving character study, but it has some hilarious bits, especially if you know your 80's and wrestling. It gets wrestling right and will give many people a new respect for it.
I haven't really seen much of Rourke in his early years. But this is an incredible performance, reminding me of Brando in On the Waterfront. It's unflniching and honest, and in the end you'll find yourself heartbroken for the man. For the role, he put on a lot of muscle and trained for the wrestling, and as a wrestling fan, I have to say he acts the part of a pro wrestler better than a good number of pro wrestlers themselves. Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood are excellent, as well.
It's currently playing in LA and NY and will open wide in a month. Highly recommended.
~T
A lot has already been said about Mickey Rourke's performance. But I'll start off with saying that Darren Aronofsky has probably never been better with his directing. First off, all three actors deliver their finest performances under Aronofsky. Gone is the visual flair of his previous films, but Aronofsky brings an immediate documentary feel that fits the story really well. He's able to use ordinary locations that depict this lonely and bleak world the wrestler tries to blend into. Some say it's shot in a standard way, but I disagree; the shot selection is quite impressive, sometimes you have a bird's-eye-view or a fly-on-the-wall's view of Rourke's isolation, at other times you are brought up close to the physical in ring pain of Rourke and his emotional pain. There's also 360 degree rotating shots, POV shots, and a brilliant tracking shot. Aronofsky's sound design is also there but like the visuals, quite subdued but nonetheless highly effective.
The screenplay is great. There are some familiar elements from other sports movies, but there is an ambguiity and complexity unseen before, and things don't always turn out as you'd expect. It's a deeply moving character study, but it has some hilarious bits, especially if you know your 80's and wrestling. It gets wrestling right and will give many people a new respect for it.
I haven't really seen much of Rourke in his early years. But this is an incredible performance, reminding me of Brando in On the Waterfront. It's unflniching and honest, and in the end you'll find yourself heartbroken for the man. For the role, he put on a lot of muscle and trained for the wrestling, and as a wrestling fan, I have to say he acts the part of a pro wrestler better than a good number of pro wrestlers themselves. Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood are excellent, as well.
It's currently playing in LA and NY and will open wide in a month. Highly recommended.
~T