The Wrestler

[tbay]

Just watched it today, really great movie - great acting and a well told story. All the hype Mickey Rourke got for this film was well deserved. I know Nicholas Cage was originally cast for the role, but Rourke really owned this part, I think he was made for it.

Leaving the theater all I kept thinking I would love to have a Randy "The Ram" Robinson 1/6 figure

Did anyone else watch the movie yet?

 

[IronFingaz]

Nope. Won't reach denmark until March or April Relly really really want to see it.

 

[The Mike]

I watched the scenes with Marisa Tomei already :

Its been getting good reviews so I'm anxious to actually check it out but there are so many films I've missed that its kind of lower on the totem pole....

 

[DarthNeil]

Awesome--- awesome--- awesome movie.

My second favorite of the year behind TDK.

See this movie-- and you don't have to be a wrasslin' fan to appreciate it.

Beautiful piece of cinema.

 

[Darth Loki]

I watched the scenes with Marisa Tomei already :

Have you seen Before the Devil Knows You're Dead?

 

[wofford29]

All the hype Mickey Rourke got for this film was well deserved. I know Nicholas Cage was originally cast for the role, but Rourke really owned this part, I think he was made for it.

I'm almost certain Aronofsky stated in an interview that he wrote this script with Rourke in mind and that he was the only one ever up for the role.

 

[kl241]

Rourke's performance reminded me of Brando in "Last Tango" or Pacino in "Panic in Needle Park", it is that good. Aronofsky is just a brilliant filmmaker, he makes movies that are indi touchstones in my opinion, Pi, Requiem, The Fountain and now this movie - a brilliant piece of cinema and in the vein of the great 70 movies like "Five Easy Pieces".

 

[DarthNeil]

Rourke's performance reminded me of Brando in "Last Tango" or Pacino in "Panic in Needle Park", it is that good. Aronofsky is just a brilliant filmmaker, he makes movies that are indi touchstones in my opinion, Pi, Requiem, The Fountain and now this movie - a brilliant piece of cinema and in the vein of the great 70 movies like "Five Easy Pieces".

Great comparisons... My favorite scene was

Spoiler

when he was making his way from the bathroom to the deli counter and you could hear the build-up and the roar of the crowd-- and then nothing when he pushed through the "curtain"... Brilliant camera work and a phenomenal scene...

 

[carbo-fation]

Another great movie from 2008. Rourke did a phenomenal job.

 

[tbay]

I'm almost certain Aronofsky stated in an interview that he wrote this script with Rourke in mind and that he was the only one ever up for the role.

Aronofsky did say he had Rourke in mind for the film from the beginning (Aronofsky didn't write the script, former Onion writer Robert Siegel did) but the movie studio actually casted Cage as the lead. Aronofsky didn't agree with the casting so Cage graciously stepped aside (about a month into early production) leaving the door open for Rourke.

https://www.cinematical.com/2007/11/12/mickey-rourke-replaces-nic-cage-in-the-wrestler/

 

[DarthNeil]

Aronofsky did say he had Rourke in mind for the film from the beginning (Aronofsky didn't write the script, former Onion writer Robert Siegel did) but the movie studio actually casted Cage as the lead. Aronofsky didn't agree with the casting so Cage graciously stepped aside (about a month into early production) leaving the door open for Rourke.

https://www.cinematical.com/2007/11/12/mickey-rourke-replaces-nic-cage-in-the-wrestler/

Classy move by Cage.

 

[Darklord Dave]

Just saw it today. It was painful to watch, just what these guys put their bodies through - despite most of it being fake. Rourke was great in the role and I think he's much more believable as a washed-up, dumb as a post, wrestler who used to be famous once than Cage could have been.

Marisa Tomei was also great... and not in that way - pervs. So was Rachel Evan Wood. Definitely a film to see.

I thought it was funny how the theatre programmed it - it's essentially an art house indie flick - you'd expect trailers from Miramax and foreign films - but they had trailers for Wolverine and Watchmen (great new trailer I hadn't seen) on this one. I guess they're expecting some crossover from actual wrestling fans.

 

[eighthsamurai]

i'm a big wrestling fan. i've been looking forward to this for a while. opens here in the uk on the 19th but i have an exam on the 20th. so i'm going for a wrestling themed weekend. the wrestler on friday night, and a royal rumble party on sunday night.

 

[Darthrazz]

- despite most of it being fake.

what???

-seriously, I read in a local paper that Rourke found the part easy to play because it mirrored his personal life, at least career wise, in many ways.

 

[plasmid303]

Great wrestling movie or greatest wrestling movie?

 

[tbay]

Great wrestling movie or greatest wrestling movie?

Great movie that just happens to be about wrestling

Greatest wrestling movie: "No Holds Barred"

 

[The Mike]

Have you seen Before the Devil Knows You're Dead?

The scenes definitely a plus.....Philip Seymour Hoffman in those scenes.....downgrade.

Marisa Tomei was also great... and not in that way - pervs.

Is it lonely up there on your pedastal Dave?

 

[Darth Caedus]

Great comparisons... My favorite scene was

Spoiler

when he was making his way from the bathroom to the deli counter and you could hear the build-up and the roar of the crowd-- and then nothing when he pushed through the "curtain"... Brilliant camera work and a phenomenal scene...

That was also my favorite scene of the entire movie.

Just saw it today. It was painful to watch, just what these guys put their bodies through - despite most of it being fake. Rourke was great in the role and I think he's much more believable as a washed-up, dumb as a post, wrestler who used to be famous once than Cage could have been.

Marisa Tomei was also great... and not in that way - pervs. So was Rachel Evan Wood. Definitely a film to see.

I was shocked, she was pretty much naked the entire movie. It was awesome, but interesting that they convinced her to do that.

In a way, it was painful to watch. I grew up watching wrestling ALL the time and still do watch it, and the way these guys get through the day is pretty sad. My buddy is all intense into wrestling and even at the top level, that movie is dead on accurate.

And the ending was perfect for me. I thought it was going to be all "he goes with the girl and live happily even after", but it was very realistic and fit the entire tone of the film

 

[King Darkness]

Saw this film yesterday and LOVED it! I have been a wrestling fan since as long as I can remember. The film is highly representative of what the business used to be, and still is to an extent.

Another great wrestling film (documentary actually) is Beyond The Mat. The Wrestler seemed to be a theatrical telling of Jake The Snake Roberts real life, as seen in Beyond the Mat.

And long time fans should check out BtM.

 

[NASEDO]

The "screening" copy of this is all over the internet.