For some reason, the movie selection at Pacific Place has really sucked this last month or so and I've found myself having to return to the Regal Meridian far more than I would like. With the exception of the Guild 45th, the Regal Meridian is perhaps my least favorite theater in Seattle. If you're seeing one of the big blockbuster titles or a new release then it's not too bad since you'll find yourself in one of the larger theaters. However, if it's an indie film or an older release then you end up in a tiny theater that seats perhaps 70 people with a screen so small you wonder why you just didn't stay home and watch a DVD.
Of course, none of this really has anything to do with Aronofsky's The Wrestler but I had to get my disdain for the Regal off my chest.
If you even have a passing interest in film, you'll have heard all the superlatives about Mickey Rourke's fabulous comeback performance. The story has been so oft-repeated I won't even bother going over it here except to say that I think people often forget that the first real return of Mickey Rourke happened over a decade ago. Rourke had a small but significant cameo role in Coppolla's The Rainmaker (starring a pre-Goodwill Hunting Matt Damon and a post-My So Called Life Claire Danes). In other words, while The Wrestler may be the apex of Rourke's comeback, it was a long-time coming and should have surprised no one.
Looking beyond the Rourke hype, however, the two aspects of this film that I found most gripping were Marisa Tomei's performance as well as the simple fact this was a Darren Aronofsky film. Ten years ago, Aronofsky made a name for himself with Pi. A couple of years later he did Requiem for a Dream and then The Fountain. All three of these films exhibit a surreal vision brought to the screen through what might be best described as kinetic style. The Wrestler, in stark contrast, is neither surreal nor kinetic. The film is so radically different than his previous efforts that one really has to question whether or not Aronofsky really made The Wrestler. This shift in style makes me really curious as to what his next project will be like ... oh, and the fact his next project is a remake of Robocop (slated for a 2010 release) doesn't hinder those expectations from growing.
The other remarkable aspect of the film was Marisa Tomei's performance. Not to sound too crass but I found Tomei's willingness to get naked -- to sacrifice her body -- to be laudable. It would have been so much easier for Tomei to use body double or to do a really toned down version of stripping. We're so used to this sort of cinematic modesty that no one would have blinked an eye. But, her willingess to put herself there physically really made a difference in how much we felt for her emotionally. There's such a vulnerability to the character that only gets across when we see her literally throw her body around.
I think for young viewers who don't remember Rourke or for those who just never cared much for him at all, the hype over his performance might seems a bit misplaced. I think that twenty years from now, if people are still watching The Wrestler, it will be Marisa Tomei's performance that people will be talking about.
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