One of those movies that I have been putting off for years and finally got around to watching. Rourke absolutely nailed the character of an athlete who is passionate about the sport he practices but whose body just isn't keeping up anymore. The movie really showcases how physically demanding professional wrestling is. He definitely trained hard in order to transform himself into Randy Robinson.
I really liked how his character didn't have a big ego. His is someone who is very good at what he does, yet remains humble. All the wrestlers that he interacts with greatly respect him. When he told that up-and-coming wrestler that he had serious potential, you could tell that he was sincere and meant it. He didn't just brush him off. He remembered how hard it was to make his mark in the sport and knew that inspiring words from a small time legend would go a long way. Additionally, all the scenes of him being reminded of his glory days are superbly acted. The contrast between the excited fans and a man who is reminiscing being on top of the world when he was in his prime was powerful.
After finding out that his heart attack could prevent him from wrestling for the rest of his life, he is devastated and doesn't exactly know how to process that information. He decides to focus on life outside this fictional macho character that he played in the ring for so long. Some of my favorite scenes in the movie where in the deli that he ends up working in. At first, you can see just how much he dreads having to work such a slow job, constantly having to talk to co-workers and customers, when he is someone who mostly keeps to himself. However, as time passes, he starts to realize that it isn't so bad and he actually enjoys interacting with a ton of people and seems genuinely happy. When he has his meltdown in the deli later on, it really is sad.
This is without question my favorite Mickey Rourke performance and I get why he was nominated for an Oscar.
You think theres any chance he would go on wtf? He's so fascinating to me. Bit every hand that fed, still made it. One of the greatest actors. The plastic surgery. I could easily see a situation where marc offends him and they go at it. Maybe mickey even storming out. What do yoy guys think?
A spec warrior: one who gives a fuck. That's me. Whether I'm prowling or growling or going full fucking Faulkner with lots of sound and fury, you count on this. I get the job done, and today that means flying under the radar into North Korea. The brass running this op is a dip-dunk desk-jockey named Admiral Travis Peyton. He tells me the mission is beyond classified, so I'm running a skeleton crew. Minimum footprint, maximum impact. SOP for assholes like me. I trained these men in the SEAL program, and they've saved my ugly ass more than once. They're dirtbags and hard motherfuckers. When I'm staring death in the face, it's them I want watching my six. A mole inside the North Korean regime has intel on a munitions factory producing a new breed of missile. My orders are to make contact and recon the factory. The brass is calling it a simple op; typical stupid poo. One thing I learned is that there's a thin line between a simple op and a total goat fuck.
That was one of the best films and best performances Iβve seen in a long time. How he didnβt win that year is beyond me. He should have won for the deli scene alone!
What do you guys think?
