The Wrestler

I never liked Mickey Rourke as an actor. He has a smarmy quality that I find makes him unpalatable to watch. I never liked him in Body Heat. I never liked him in The Pope of Greenwich Village or Rumblefish, and I especially never liked him in the creepy 91/2 weeks. So I was surprised by how good I thought he was in The Wrestler – his acting seemed authentic and understated. I actually rooted for his character Randy the Ram to make a go of it despite the fact that he is a sorry excuse for a father and looks like a grotesque freak. I hoped that he would quit his horrible job of being battered about by other professional wrestlers and live a life of ease with the always likable Marissa Tomei. The movie itself is pretty predictable, but it is something to see Rourke in this role.