The Incredible Hulk destroys The Hulk 24/7. Don’t make me hungry. You wouldn’t like me when I’m hungry.
Bigger, Stronger, Faster is a doc that I would love to watch when I get a chance to. So far, you have got me on two of your top 10; I blame it on living in the Caymans and their third world theatres where the multiplex has 6 screens. Also, I blame my school’s slow internet connection, though I am not sure what that would have to do with watching films, hmmm. However, your #9, a documentary about steroid abuse, segues perfectly into my #9, Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler.
As a long time on and off fan of professional wrestling, and being very much disturbed by the national headlines that many wrestlers have gotten themselves into, The Wrestler might as well be a documentary of the lives of many wrestlers. Tragedies involving the premature deaths of Eddie Guerrero, Curt Hennig, and countless others have tarnished many childhood memories. Watching recent WWE presentations where “Legends” are trotted out and are often made fools of do not help in maintaining these precious moments of youth, and often leads me to wonder what would cause these old men to don a pair of tights 20-30 years past their primes so that some up and coming star can smash them over the head with a steel chair. Then, while watching The Wrestler, I understood; these men have nothing else. This is a tragic tale of one man’s attempt at recovery and normalcy with the constant lure of his poison being omnipresent.
The Wrestler can not be mentioned without singling out Mickey Rourke’s performance. The Wrestler might as well be Rourke’s career: a huge star and draw in the 80’s, resulting in a well documented life of partying and wild times flushing it all away, making him nearly black listed in Hollywood, and then getting a chance many years later to prove his worth. And prove his worth is what he does. We have been blessed to have watched two of the most engrossing acting performances of all time in the past two years, with Mickey Rourke’s Randy “The Ram” Robinson joining Daniel Day-Lewis’ Daniel Plainview from There Will Be Blood in the pantheon of great screen characters. The return of Mickey Rourke has been recognized with his recent Golden Globe win, and should be capped off with an Academy Award win as well.
i was wondering what happened to Mickey Rourke, then there he was at the Golden Globes
[…] Sulmoney picked The Wrestler as his #9, I commented that it was a fantastically-made movie to which I simply felt no personal attachment. […]
[…] Sean Penn (Milk), Brad Pitt (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), and Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler). (Full disclosure: I still need to see The Visitor, don’t judge […]