[IMG:L]
The Wrestler
(Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2008)
Mickey Rourke, Oscar bait? That’s what they’re saying. Here’s what we’re saying: His face is astounding. It was as if whatever knife-work his mug’s undergone was just prep for his role as a low-level professional wrestler who’s racked up enough face bash-ins to warrant a hearing aid. “Ram” Robinson has kept up with his nipple-length mane of bleached curls — a trademark of his ‘80s “glory days” (use term loosely). Ram clings to his long-forgotten fame by participating in Spider-Man sort of matches; he then bags groceries for a boss that poo-poos on his weekend to-do of “sitting on other dudes’ faces.” He’s lonely. But flirts his way into lap dances with stripper Marisa Tomei. He harbors bad-Daddy guilt. But attempts to reignite his relationship with his daughter through a self-deprecating monologue (“I’m a broken down piece of meat, and I deserve to be all alone …”) that gets even a badass like Evan Rachel Wood to cry. It’s a Rourke you have to see for yourself.
YESTERDAY’S DO-IT: It’s a new baby for Fall Out Boy!
