2009: The Year of No New Media (Or at least very little)

After a couple of years of acquiring movies, books, and music, I've decided to put the brakes on and take the time to enjoy the ones I've got. So I have decided to try to spend an entire year without adding anything new to the archives. There will doubtless be a few exceptions (birthdays, gift giving holidays)but I'm going to try not to buy anything new, and more importantly, to use this blog to write about my fairly eclectic collection. I also reserve the right to write about films I've DVR'ed off of cable movie channels, with the caveat that they're shown in their original, unedited format. New movies seen on the big screen will also creep in from time to time, which brings us to today's entry, Darren Aronofsky's "The Wrestler."

THE WRESTLER
2008
Directed by Darren Aronofsky
With Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei.

It's been a long time since we've seen Mickey Rourke headline a movie, although a closer look at his filmography reveals that he never really went away. Rourke's appeared in at least a film a year since his debut in 1979, but after several flashy star turns in the 80's, he appeared in some questionable projects ("Wild Orchid", anyone?) and even spent some time trying his luck as a professional boxer. Older now, and minus his former leading man good looks, he's able to fully inhabit his lastest role as Randy "The Ram" Robinson, the title character in "The Wrestler". The parallels between Rourke's real career and the character he plays here are striking, but Rourke still deserves credit for putting himself through the ringer here, both physically and emotionally. Whether he's cringing while a doctor removes staples from his back after a match, or trying in vain to reconnect with his estranged daughter (Evan Rachel Wood), his characterization is never less than authentic. With great support from Marisa Tomei and a fine script by Robert Siegel, "The Wrestler" gives Rourke a great showcase, and he clearly savors every frame.