by darren anorofsky.

worth the hype?

nj is a funny place.

it was weird, i think because i know as much about wrestling as i do, it kind of decreased the effect of this movie on me

it seemed to hit harder with the people i was with who don't watch wrestling

that said, though, i really enjoyed it. nothing groundbreaking for me personally, but rourke is fantastic.

lots of nekkid marissa isn't bad either

Seen it twice now, and it's amazing. Sad without being depressing; and yes, Rourke is astounding. Really makes you feel for a character who could have just come off as pathetic in lesser hands. The filmmaking style was great as well, very un-Aronofsky (low-tech, lots of handheld tracking shots from behind characters). My experience with wrestling is really old-school (the Crusher, Verne Gagne, etc from back in the '60's) so I don't know how accurate this is, but it seems to paint a good picture of a very definite subculture.

I've heard from lots of people who were involved in Wrestling, that its pretty much EXACTLY like this.

This movie was excellent. Definitely see it if you can. I would say its one of the best movies I've seen in a long, long time. Rourke is incredible, and it will definitely tug at your heart strings. The 2 (male) friends I went with both teared up.

I gotta see this. I was a big wrestling fan as a kid, not so much after high school, but I'm pretty familiar with a lot of what happens to many of their personal lives after the "glory" so I think I'd enjoy it. I forgot it was even coming out.

worth the hype

Best of 08! Worth the hype!

It's very very good but it's all really about one mans performance that carries the film to that level. There's some serious script issues which make the film feel a bit heavy handed but Mickey is SO good it's probably one of the best acting performances I've seen in my lifetime. Aronofsky really knew he had something special in his performance and he just lets him strap the film on his back and carry it. Then there's the copious amounts of stripper nudity from Marissa which also makes this film pretty special.

I'd have to agree with this assessment. I thought there were some questionable choices but overall it was on my 2008 top ten list.

i love wrestling.
i love Mickey Rourke (except in that Harley Davidson & Marlboro Man flick).
thanks all for confirming the deserved hype!
can't wait to watch this....

I found it anticlimactic but the acting was amazing, and Marisa Tomei's dancing was enough even had it sucked.

best movie of the year

Everything I've read and heard about this is really positive. I'm really looking forward to seeing it.

The Quietus have a pretty good article on it (sorry for the shameless promotion...)

was it shot digital? it looked grainy.

superb acting indeed.

i am a big of anorofsky other works.

i thought it was a great movie, but not in my greatest of all times list.

Haven't seen it yet, but I know it was shot on 16mm and blown up to 35. Not sure if it was for budgetary or aesthetic purposes.

It's a great movie - although there are a few cliched plot devices and one thing in particular that defies belief (the "Ram" never gets a hospital bill ) - Aranofsky is back in form following The Fountain.

I might even go see it again.

Also, check out the film's website because there's a roundtable discussion with old school wrestlers (including Greg "The Hammer" Valentine who unfortunately doesn't have much to say).

i thought it was OK..seemed like not much of a stretch for mickey rourke.. washed-up old man still trying to glam-it-up

although it did seem to sort of drag towards the end...

i enjoyed that it was new jersey-centric & the cheesy metal soundtrack....

i would definitely not watch it again though..

for other recent films..i liked milk,,frozen river & that brad pitt benjamin button film more...

Isn't it based off of the life of Jake the Snake Roberts?

I really want to see this movie, saw the trailer before it was released and thought it would be good but then I just slept on it.

Guess I gotta go to the theatre to see it..

Was Mickey Rourke that good? Or was it just a subdued performance.

For some reason I can see Stallone playing this exact roll. Washed up loser etc.

Definitely a top notch performance by Rourke, didn't do so well for my nausea following behind him in the beginning. After the movie I had to youtube a whole bunch of my favorite wrestlers. Forgot how awesome their persona's were in the ring. Gotta love the showmanship.

You guys are nuts. Mickey Rourke is amazing, especially compared to most of today's "in demand" actors.

The motorcycle boy lives on!

Don't get me wrong. Rourke had some really good movies in the 80's. I just haven't seen the Wrestler yet so I was wondering if his performance is truly top notch or that people are playing the sympathy card with him. After all..his hollywood downfall and plastic surgery have been highly publicized.

Saw it on the weekend. Amazing!
Never been into Wrestling so a lot of the movie was a real eye opener for me.
Rourke shines with a real heartfelt performance.
Great editing as well. The way scenes are chopped really kept a nice pace going.
Recommended if your not into Wrestling. Deals with topics like family, responsibility, friendship, fame and shows the hardcore dedication these guys have for their sport/sub-culture and fans.

Ah, I thought you had actually seen it... His performance is great for all the reasons listed in this thread, and considering people like to kick the famous when they're down, the sympathy card definitely doesn't apply. Check out the film and then you'll understand why Stallone could never pull this character off.