The Wrestler

[rva]

If you see this movie, see it with someone you love.  Preferably during the daytime, and maybe make some nice dinner reservations for after the show.  Do not see it alone.  Especially if you live alone. 

That way, you can walk out of the theater feeling like a winner.  Seriously, I saw it with a friend and it let out at like 12:00 midnight.  And we were both staring at the prospect of going home alone to empty beds and the loser parallels were just to close.  It was like "uhhhh.... you want to get a drink?"  "Yes.  Yes I do." 

For a second, I thought he was going to ask me to hold him.  And at that moment, I think I would have done so.  Right in the middle of a crowded theater.  I'm talking depressing, man.  DEPRESSING.

[Nate]

Dude...unless you're a former professional wrestler 20 years past his prime hitting up strip clubs for possible life-mates...you will never be a loser.

Good film, though.  I got Mickey Rourke taking Best Actor in a few weeks...

[rva]

He would thoroughly deserve it, too.  I expected him to be good, because it was such a juicy role for him.  He just has to act like an over-dramatic, over-the-hill, crazy freak and scream and cry a lot... which I mean, is basically how he is in real-life.  But actually, his acting was extremely subtle and understated. 

Marisa Tomei was also fantastic.  It's not a juicy enough role for her to deserve any awards, but that role really could (and probably should) have sunk that movie, but she made it work, and work well.  Given so little to work with, she did an incredible job to fleshing it out so well.  Yes, that was an *awesome* pun.

[Wherle]

Yeah, the best part of that role, for me, was Marisa's boobies. If that's the type of aging stripper that guys ignore in a strip club, I want to go to that strip club.

[rva]

That's why that part sucked.  If she looks bad, you don't understand Rourke's fascination with her plus nobody wants to see that.  If she looks good, it puts her out of Rourke's league. 

But she played it as well as could be done.  She didn't try to bring too much extra one way or the other.  It was sort of like "this is how I look and this is how the part is written and this is how it plays a role in the story, and you can believe it or not."  And in the end, you end up believing despite yourself because she plays it so naturally and keeps it small. 

She doesn't try to convince us that she's the stripper with the heart of gold.  She just makes it believable that Rourke could feel that way, which is perfect.  It's then up to Rourke to pull the weight as far as convincing us he's right about her possibly being his salvation or if he's totally deluded or if there is no real answer.  And Rourke gets it exactly right.

It's the kind of supporting role acting that should win an Oscar, but never does.  It always goes to the scene stealers like Ledger's Joker.  Not saying that Ledger doesn't deserve his award, scene stealing was appropriate in that role. 

[matt]

Mickey Rourke to participate in WrestleMania

[Wherle]

Ugh.

[matt]

So much for credibility.

[Hell Toupee]

It depends on how he participates in it...

Showing up to promote the movie just because of the audience it (Wrestlemania) receives would be worth the time, but actually wrestling in the event would be horrible.

[vizzah]

If you see this movie, see it with someone you love.  Preferably during the daytime, and maybe make some nice dinner reservations for after the show.  Do not see it alone.  Especially if you live alone. 

How about seeing it with someone you like?  Is that sufficient?

[Doug]

Well, I'm going to see it by myself tonight.  My wife won't see it with me and the guy I'm traveling with isn't interested either.  I think I'll be just fine.

[Butter]

I'd totally go if you were nearby.

[Doug]

I'd totally go if you were nearby.

I know man.  I thought about you actually, while I was mentally listing the few people I know that would see it with me if I was in Ohio.  I'd love to wait until the weekend and see it there with friends, but I only have two days home and one of them is being spent doing laundry and getting ready to come back to Chicago.  On the other one, I belive I owe two boys a trip to the movies to see "Hotel for Dogs".

[vizzah]

I'm interested in seeing it too.  Butter, if c-fan doesn't want to see it, I'll gladly go with you.  It starts at the Neon tomorrow, I hadn't bothered to see if it was playing in any other theaters.

[Butter]

I'm interested in seeing it too.  Butter, if c-fan doesn't want to see it, I'll gladly go with you.  It starts at the Neon tomorrow, I hadn't bothered to see if it was playing in any other theaters.

No, she definitely wants to see it, but she just doesn't have the time to lately, nor do we have the babysitting to go together.

I'll run it by Andrea and see what she has to say.

And Doug, Hotel for Dogs?  So, you are now also in the crappy movie boat with 2 youngsters.  It's a rough place to be for a while.  I think we'll probably end up seeing it sometime.