The Wrestler (***)

Mickey Rourke has a lock in my opinion on the Oscar Award for Best Actor this year, for his role as Randy "The Ram" Robinson in The Wrestler. I'm not counting out Marisa Tomei as the stripper Cassidy, for Best Supporting Actress.

Randy "The Ram" Robinson was a wrestler on top of the game, twenty years ago. Video games, posters, action figures beared his likeness. Twenty years later, he is wrestling in the indy circuit, in front of crowds less than 100 people, for $50.00 payoffs. The story is based on the life of Jake the Snake Roberts, who has been through rehab who knows how many times. In addition like Ram, was denounced by his daughter, for screwing up everything and everybody he touched. (played by Evan Rachel Wood). Rourke's acting was based on watching Greg Valentine wrestle. Greg is a second generation wrestler, who also had his better days.

To prepare for this part, Mickey Rourke trained to be a wrestler, at a wrestling camp unpaid for his time. Being an former boxer, he had difficulty learning to throw a wrestler's punch. A wrestler throws a punch to be seen, while boxers punch to hurt people.

The wrestling locker room is realistic. Wrestlers have rituals, like shaking hands with everyone involved with the show. How hard you squeeze, tells how hard you punch. Wrestlers have dead fish handshakes.

Golden Lion (Won)
Golden Globe Award: Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama (Mickey Rourke) (Won)
Golden Globe Award: Best Original Song - Motion Picture ("The Wrestler" written and performed by Bruce Springsteen) (Won)
Golden Globe Award: Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture (Marisa Tomei) (Nominated)
Academy Award for Best Actor (Mickey Rourke) (Nominated) (TBD)
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress (Marisa Tomei) (Nominated) (TBD)
Screen Actor's Guild Award for Outstanding Male Actor in a Leading Role (Mickey Rourke) (Nominated) (TBD)
Writer's Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay (Robert D. Siegel) (Nominated) (TBD)
BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Mickey Rourke) (Nominated) (TBD)
BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Marisa Tomei) (Nominated) (TBD)


RENEGADE EYE