Best of the Fests: Toronto Begins
Movie Dearest — ... the globe, talking with religious types about their beliefs. Other notable titles include: Joel and Ethan Coen’s Burn After Reading, Steven Soderbergh’s two-part Che, Stephan Elliott's Easy Virtue, Barbet Schroeder's Inju, Phillipe Claudel's I've Loved You So Long, Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire, Charlie Kaufman's Synecdoche, New York, Darren Aronofsky's The Wrestler and Kevin Smith's Zack and Miri Make a Porno.TIFF 2008 ...

Golden Lions in the Ring
Film Experience Blog — Could The Wrestler, the new unexpected Darren Aronofsky movie starring Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei have Oscar in its future? It just won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival which is big news indeed. Mickey Rourke is the kind of storied celebrity that could keep the press humming and you need the press for real Oscar runs. As for Marisa Tomei, she's always fabulous and a possibility too with the right movie / right role. I actually broke the news of her involvement in this film on my podcastinterview ...

Best of the Fests: Wrestler Scores at Venice
Movie Dearest — Darren Aronofsky's The Wrestler won the top award, the Golden Lion, at the Venice Film Festival yesterday. The drama stars Mickey Rourke as a retired wrestler who strikes up a romance with an aging stripper played by Marisa Tomei. Rourke himself received a lot of credit for the film's success; none other then Wim Wenders says he turns in a "heartbreaking performance". Could this unexpected comeback launch the infamous Rourke into this year's Best Actor race? Among the fest's ...

A Glance at 'The Wrestler'
Cinematical — ... a few days ago -- but with The Wrestler winning the Golden Lion in Venice this week, it's as good a time as any. The buzz on this film is growing by the second, awards for ...

First Clips from Aronofsky’s The Wrestler
Row Three — ... T here is a whole lot of buzz around Darren Aronofsky’s new film The Wrestler . Starring Mickey Rourke as a washed our wrestler, the film which recently premiered at Venice, is being praised left and right with Rourke’s performance being touted as “ ...

Newsbites: Claudius! Oz! Iron! Lantern! Aronofsky! Munich!
FilmChat — ... Iron Man. He also has some thoughts on Marvel's plans for an Avengers cross-over movie, and the "challenge" of ensuring that "tech-based" characters like Iron Man and the Incredible Hulk will feel like they're in the "same world" as the more supernatural or mystical characters like Thor. -- ComingSoon.net 4. Green Lantern is in rewrites. -- MTV Splash Page 5. Darren Aronofsky, out promoting The Wrestler and celebrating his film's recent victory at the Venice Film ...

5 10 Off My Head - Oh-Eight's Remains
my new plaid pants — ... December 19th - The Wrestler - Aronofsky is enough, of course, to get my ass there in an instant, but the crazy positive word of mouth attached to this thing has got me especially excited. ...

NYFF 3: Wrestling With Bashir
Film Experience Blog — ... The Wrestler tells the story of Randy "The Ram" Robinson, a professional wrestler in his 50s who has long since passed his prime. Unfortunately it's the only life he's ever known. Mickey Rourke will earn a well deserved Oscar nomination for this major comeback (though astute moviegoers already noticed he still had "it" with that sly and expertly crafted "best in show" performance in Sin City). Not everything operates on Rourke's level here -- it can be predictable and a major plot element, his relationship with his daughter (Evan ...

Fan Rant: 24 Hours of Aronofsky
Cinematical — ... prior to seeing his new film, The Wrestler. Out of more happenstance than planning, I began his first film exactly a day to the minute before this one would end, and now I offer up my thoughts on his career to date. (Who knows what more could come following this: 24 Hours of ...

Official Poster Revealed for Darren Aronofsky's The Wrestler
FirstShowing.net — ... use. I just really hope that it catches the attention of more moviegoers as well, because The Wrestler deserves to be seen. Thanks to the guys over at InContention (via SlashFilm) for finding this. I saw it on the red carpet at the AFI Fest premiere (where I saw the film for a second time) and have been waiting for it to show up online ever since. The trailer is due out later this week. Does it capture your attention? The Wrestler is both directed and produced by visionary filmmaker Darren ...

Terrific New Poster for 'The Wrestler'
Get The Big Picture — ... 's performance in the new drama The Wrestler. Almost unanimously, Rourke's work has been seen as career-salvaging, and most pundits think he has a good shot at an Oscar nomination. Who would've thought that after Another 9 1/2 Weeks and several years in the boxing ring? ...

What's My Name Again?
THE DARK OF THE MATINEE — ... THE SPIRIT DEC. 26 REVOLUTIONARY ROAD THE WRESTLER (No site for this one, sorry)

'The Wrestler' Trailer: Can You Smell What the Rourke is Cookin'?
Get The Big Picture — Here's a brand new trailer for The Wrestler, the film that many people believe will earn Mickey Rourke an Academy Award nomination. It's directed by Darren Aronofsky (Requiem for a Dream), and co-stars Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood. If you haven't heard about the film, Rourke plays a pro wrestler at the tail end of his career pushing for one more run in the spotlight. ...

Must Watch: Darren Aronofsky's The Wrestler Trailer!
FirstShowing.net — ... You can also watch The Wrestler trailer in High Definition on Apple The Wrestler is both directed and produced by visionary filmmaker Darren Aronofsky, of Pi, Requiem for a Dream, and The Fountain previously, with a script written by Robert D. Siegel, of only The Onion Movie previously. The film first premiered at the Venice Film Festival and Toronto Film Festival and was quickly picked up by Fox Searchlight for distribution. The Wrestler will hit very limited theaters ...

One Last Look: Mickey Rourke as The Ram in The Wrestler
FirstShowing.net — ... in the film. With that brief introduction, I now present one last look at The Wrestler. Even though it may take another month or more to show up in a theater near you, I'm sure you won't soon forget it. Thanks to our friends at SlashFilm for this latest batch of photos. Not only do I want people to see this movie because it's wonderful, but I want it to be a huge success for Darren Aronofsky and Fox Searchlight. The Wrestler is both directed and produced by visionary filmmaker Darren ...

New Images of Mickey Rourke in 'The Wrestler'
Get The Big Picture — ... to score at least an Oscar nomination for The Wrestler seems pretty clear. In what may prove to be a defining moment of his career, a comeback that could propel him for quite a while, Rourke has so far received as much or more praise than any other leading actor in the field this year. ...

DECEMBER 2008 MOVIE PREVIEW
Antagony & Ecstasy — ... , Steven Soderbergh's two-part Che Guevara biopic that is apparently opening as a roadshow entertainment? Or something? Less than two weeks prior, it should be a bit more obvious what the hell is going on here. 17.12.2008 A confession: I've already seen Darren Aronofsky's new The Wrestler , at the Chicago Film Festival. My thoughts? Entirely worth seeing, but don't expect a timeless masterpiece. Just some really great performances and crackerjack editing. Also, the inscrutable new Clint Eastwood vehicle (pun! but not on purpose) ...

'Rachel,' 'Frozen River,' 'Ballast' Lead Race for Independent Spirit Awards
Get The Big Picture — ... Rachel is, of course, anchored by Anne Hathaway, who is a likely Best Actress nominee for the Academy Awards. The same could be said of Frozen River's Melissa Leo, quickly becoming the trendy pick nobody had ever heard of until a few weeks ago. And Ballast is a drama about the way one suicide affects the lives of others. Other multiple nominees include Milk, The Wrestler, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, and Synecdoche, New ...

2009 Independent Spirit Awards Nominees Announced
FirstShowing.net — ... in independent film. Read on! You'll notice an [IMDb] link next to each one. This is so you can explore and discover great new films, because there is guaranteed to be an indie movie you've never heard of on this list. BEST FEATURE Ballast [IMDb] Frozen River [IMDb] Rachel Getting Married [IMDb] Wendy and Lucy [IMDb] The Wrestler [IMDb] BEST FIRST FEATURE Afterschool [ ...

The Wrestler, Frozen River Lead Spirit Award Nominations
Film School Rejects — ... Frozen River, Jonathan Demme’s critically acclaimed Rachel Getting Married and Darren Aronofsky’s Toronto gem The Wrestler leading the way. Have a look at the full list of nominations below. Click any of the film names below to browse that film’s IMDb page. BEST FEATURE Ballast Frozen River Rachel Getting Married Wendy and Lucy The Wrestler BEST FIRST FEATURE ...

The Wrestler (2008) - New Cinema Wallpaper of the Day - Mickey Rourke
Cinema is Dope — ... New Cinema Wallpaper of the Day Saturday, December 6, 2008 Another great image from The Wrestler! Can’t wait to see this one. Related Coverage: ::: Previous Cinema is Dope Wallpaper Image Source: Official still used in the original international release of the film. Related Links: ::: Official Site ::: IMDb Profile

Mickey Rourke Wrestles with 'Sin City' Sequel
Get The Big Picture — There have been some updates on the Sin City front over the past few days. It owes a lot to a confluence of talent from the original film, all of whom have reasons to talk this December: Director Frank Miller has The Spirit, Rosario Dawson co-stars in Seven Pounds, and Mickey Rourke is attracting Oscar consideration for The Wrestler. Miller and Dawson say it's a go, and shooting will begin in April. And while Rourke had ...

The Wrestler Review
The Movie Blog — ... Sin City gave notice to the film world that Mickey Rourke was back when he gave his great (and in my opinion best in the whole movie) performance as Marv. But let’s face it, not a lot of people are going to give tons of acting credit for anything you do in a film like Sin City. Fair enough. But a while ago word came out the his performance in this new movie “The Wrestler” was going to shock a lot of people and perhaps even garner some awards consideration. ...

An R-Rated 'Robocop'? I'd Buy That For a Dollar
Get The Big Picture — It has been one of the most-rumored remakes of the past few years and now director Darren Aronofsky adds another intriguing element that could raise a once-promising franchise back from the dead. Aronofsky, whose The Wrestler just earned Golden Globe nominations for Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei, told a group of journalists that he wants to return Robocop to the realm of the R-rated, unlike the tepid sequels to Paul Verhoeven's hard-hitting ...

DARREN ARONOFSKY. WRESTLING PICTURE. YOU'LL PROBABLY WANT A ROADMAP.
Antagony & Ecstasy — ... ; today the former indie godling Darren Aronofsky gives us The Wrestler , a film with a story that had whiskers on it back in the 1940s, and a resolutely tamped-down style that feels a little bit like the director's more characteristic work every now and then, but is mostly content to purr along in a well-worn rut. And for the record, I happen to know that the next couple of weeks bear witness to at least a third film from a great stylist who's apparently doing everything he can to make us forget that he's a great stylist; classy breeding forbids me from naming names, but the ...

The Latest in Theaters: A Mouse, a Wrestler and Jim Carrey
Movie Dearest — ... The Wrestler: It has been described as Rocky as directed by Scorsese; Mickey Rourke as the title character battles his demons in and out of the ring in this Darren Aronofsky drama co-starring Marisa Tomei. ...

Film Fan Fridays Special Double Issue - December 19 & 26, 2008
Movie Moxie — ... Tom Cruise, Kenneth Branagh, Tom Wilkinson, Bill Nighy, Thomas Kretschmann, Terence Stamp, Eddie Izzard USA/Germany Official Film Site (autoplays trailer), IMDb Page, Trailer Spoiler free for first have then spoilers galore! The Wrestler Dir: Darron Aronofsky (The Fountain, Requiem for a Dream, Pi) Cast: Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei, Even Rachel Wood USA Limited Release Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer Trailer is sight unseen - spoiler sensitive beware Friday ...

New 'Wrestler,' 'Slumdog' and 'Reader' Quad Posters
Get The Big Picture — We're a couple of days away from our end of the year list of the best movie posters. I'm a big believer in them, not that they make the film any better, but that they can positively and negatively influence an undecided audience about whether or not to see a movie. We'll get into this more on Tuesday when our list of posters is revealed. Until then, here are three new UK quads that showed up at IMP Awards. Love the one for The Wrestler, am ambivalent about the one for The Reader, and think ...

Listen to Oscar Conteding Songs from 'Slumdog' and 'The Wrestler'
Get The Big Picture — ... In another category, you can now preview two potentisl Best Song nominees, and among movies not named High School Musical, I think they stand a very good chance. I don't think High School Musical has great or even remotely memorable or compelling songs, just that Disney submitted 11 songs that are in the running for the five nominations, and Disney always does well in this category. These two songs come from The Wrestler and Slumdog Millionaire ...

Mickey Rourke vs. Sean Penn in a Heavyweight Text Message Battle
Get The Big Picture — ... set out to prove that Lee Harvey Oswald was the lone gunman in the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Whether or not you believe his position, he put a lot of work into writing the book and purusing a an opinion that now even the government believes is probably inaccurate. Today, Posner has taken on another of the great stories of our time. He writes that he was shown a text message from The Wrestler star Mickey Rourke ...

COMFORT FOOD CINEMA, or: IT'S LIKE BEFORE SUNRISE, BUT WITH OLD PEOPLE!
Antagony & Ecstasy — ... Harvey and Kate simply because of how swell we expect they're going to be based on the thespians involved, which saves the film from having to do too much character-building other than to clarify that they're not total assholes. It's cheap, but it's fair: you couldn't get away with doing this in a film starring, say, Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei. There, the filmmakers have to justify that the characters have backstories and deserve our attention. I'm not insane enough to argue that The Wrestler isn't a substantially more durable film than Last Chance Harvey , of course, ...

Sweet child o' mine
pullquote — ... back to back one Saturday, and The Wrestler Sunday before noon with my pal Andy. Dysfunctional fun abounded. Taken together, these films remind us that the return of the prodigal is an irresistible trope. [Milton gave God's fallen favorite Satan the best lines, don't forget.] Mathieu Almaric's Henri returns to Roubaix, Anne Hathaway's Kym leaves rehab for Stamford [a harsh trade, that], and Randy gives up wrestling to dish out deli. These are the showy, scenery-gnawing roles, but what I remember more than a week on are the peripheral parts these big personalities edge out to ...

The Top Rated 2008 Movies on IMDB
Get The Big Picture — ... year's end, and I would think that at least five of them would be fixtures on the list for years and years to come. So, according to the voters of IMDB, I guess these are the top nine movies of 2008, complete with their all-time rankings. 4 - The Dark Knight 34 - Wall-E 68 - Slumdog Millionaire 70 - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button 78 - The Wrestler 172 - Milk 192 ...

2008: THE YEAR IN MOVIES
Antagony & Ecstasy — ... after another three or four viewings, you find yourself obsessed with how the tiniest little details all contribute to the whole. Film That Will Most Deserve a Remake a Decade Hence W. Or maybe not even a decade. Maybe just a year. You know, after we've had some time to actually reflect on George W. Bush's presidency. Like, maybe, once he's no longer the sitting president . The Oscarbait Misfires Ranked from Least to Most Tedious Gran Torino Australia Milk The Wrestler Changeling Revolutionary Road Frost/Nixon Miracle at St. ...

The Top Dozen Films of the Year
Film Experience Blog — ... (his dad, brother and girlfriend are also in the business) and his breakout hit pulses with memorable creepy imagery and smart directorial choices, especially in its first half... READ THE REST for thoughts on Burn After Reading, A Christmas Tale, The Class, Happy-Go-Lucky, In Bruges, Let the Right One In, Milk, Rachel Getting Married, Reprise, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, The Wrestler and an adorable Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth Class ...

More of the Best of Ought-Eight
Termite Art — My contractual obligations to the Independent Film Channel means I've already posted my favorite movies of 2008 to IFC.com, along with a brief essay about the year in film, but in case you missed it and can't summon the strength in your index finger to click the link, here's my top ten: 1. My Winnipeg 2. Rachel Getting Married 3. The Dark Knight 4. Wendy and Lucy 5. The Wrestler 6. Milk 7. Let the Right One In 8. Doubt 9. Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father ...

THE WRESTLER Standee Gaffe - Plain Error Or Seasonal Sign?
film babble blog — ... This standee (left) for Darren Aronofsky’s THE WRESTLER (which isn’t coming to my area for a few weeks yet to my chagrin) featured Peter Travers’ rave review from Rolling Stone. The review alone was annoying enough with its repetition – “Mickey Rourke gets everything right” and “Rourke doesn't make a single false move” but it has an error which, while minor, I still can’t get past: ...

Let The Award Season Begin!
The Long Take — ... The award season for 2008 has long started and I am beginning to feel like I'm left out. 33rd Toronto Film Festival already made famous a couple of films such as Slumdog Millionaire and The Wrestler, which are now runner-ups in the Golden Globe race in several categories. Aronofsky's film was also recognized in Venice Film Festival this year and was honored with a Golden Lion. New York Film Festival is way past, various critics circle awards are coming along and 66th Annual Golden Globes awards ceremony is fast approaching. ...

Cinecast Episode 108 - The Privilege Stick
Row Three — ... on Wire - - - - Cinecast review with Matt Gamble - - - - Cinecast review (again) 9) Silent Light 8 ) My Blueberry Nights - - - - Cinecast review 7) Let the Right One In - - - - Andrew’s review - - - - Cinecast review 6) Elegy - - - - Andrew’s review - - - - Cinecast SPOILER review 5) Doomsday - - R3view - - - - Cinecast review 4) Blindness 3) The Wrestler 2) Rachel Getting Married - - - - Mike Rot’s review 1) 4 ...

Writers Guild Nominations
Film Experience Blog — ... to for any wordy appeal. Never mind. Blogger has decided photos are off limits today. No illustrations for you. The Writers Guild have announced their nominations for this film year and they go like so... Original Screenplay Burn After Reading, Joel Coen & Ethan Coen Milk, Dustin Lance Black Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Woody Allen The Visitor, Tom McCarthy The Wrestler, Robert Siegel I knew that Woody ...

Movie Review - 'The Wrestler'
Get The Big Picture — ... 's The Wrestler is a movie about loneliness, desperation, and missed opportunities. It is not about the big time wrestling of Vince McMahon and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, and there are no Hulkamaniacs running wild. ...

The Wrestler (2008) - New Cinema Wallpaper of the Day - Marisa Tomei
Cinema is Dope — ... equally physically and emotionally demanding with very delicate beats that she nails perfectly throughout. Related Coverage: ::: Previous Cinema is Dope Wallpaper ::: THE WRESTLER—The Evening Class Interview With Darren Aronofsky Image Source: Official still used in the original international release of the film. Related Links: ::: Official Site ::: IMDb Profile

Aronofsky Flies the Filthy Falcon at Globes
Get The Big Picture — One of the real highlights of the Golden Globes was this exchange between Best Actor winner Mickey Rourke and his The Wreslter director, Darren Aronofsky . On the west coast, it was bleeped and digitally blurred, so you knew it was good. I mean, anytime your awards show resembles a crucial moment on Cops, that's gotta be good TV. And it's also good YouTube: ...

The Wrestler (2008)
The Long Take — ... The Wrestler by the acclaimed director Aronofsky, whose earlier works include his magnum opus Requiem for a Dream and the magnificent The Fountain, is a touching film for reasons that go beyond the story told on screen. When Randy (played by Mickey Rourke, one of the most interesting careers Hollywood has ever seen) calmly complains, in a bar scene that "the 90s fuckin' sucked", he creates one of the most emotionally charged moments of the film. As you might already know, Rourke's career (and arguably his life) ...

Prestiege Period Piece Pontifications: DOUBT, VALKYRIE, and THE READER
film babble blog — ... , THE WRESTLER). That’s why a best of 2008 list will have to wait for those who’ve emailed me asking where it is. In the meantime though, here’s 3 much talked about movies that I have caught up with: ...

Best Costumes (Or: The Moment the Slumdog Thing Finally Spun Irrevocably Out of Control)
Film Experience Blog — ... hold a special place in my heart. The cinema (or at least the movie stars) would be naked without them. Here's the clothes the costumers dug most this year. Contemporary Film Iron Man Laura Jean Shannon and Rebecca Bentjen Mamma Mia! Ann Roth Sex & the City: The Movie Patricia Field Slumdog Millionaire Suttirat Larlarb The Wrestler Amy Westcott Excuse me while I gnash my teeth at ...

This Week on Australian Screens
Stale Popcorn — ... The Wrestler - If it weren't for all the Bride Wars and dogs in hotels going on this weekend would be a great one for new releases. Mickey Rourke will be an Oscar-nominee next week for his role in the new Darren Aronofsky film The Wrestler and I am quaking with anticipation. ...

Wrestlers on 'The Wrestler'
Get The Big Picture — ... post it then, but it's actually better weekend viewing anyway, because it might take 20 minutes of your time or so. It's also a really good fit for what we've been doing in awards season already, which is presenting some roundtable interviews about some of last year's best movies featuring 2008's most celebrated talents. This one is a little different. Rather than hearing from Darren Aronofsky or his cast for The Wrestler - Mickey Rourke, ...

Mark Friedberg (And Other Wonders of the Film World)
Film Experience Blog — ... the film's gargantuan ambitions. In addition to Art Direction I've also posted my ballot for Film Editing, Original Score and Original Song. Mark Friedberg isn't the only old favorite to show up again. Other repeat FB nominees include editor Ang Lee's frequent editor Tim Sqyres, Baz Luhrmann's creative partner (and wife) Catherine Martin and composer Danny Elfman. Click away to see how Slumdog Millionaire, The Wrestler, The Dark Knight and the year's best documentary Trouble the ...

Actors Roundtable with Rourke, Brolin, Jackman, and More
Get The Big Picture — ... How would you like to watch a film with those guys in the cast? That's a pretty good start, right? I'll say that of the group of videos in this year-end collection, these are probably the most informative and the most entertaining. There's plenty of Mickey Rourke, who is probably the leading Best Actor candidate this year for The Wrestler. Says Rourke of the last 15 years of his career: ...

OFCS AWARDS 2008
Antagony & Ecstasy — We've just this evening announced the recipients of our annual awards. Available elsewhere, but dammit, I'm going to post the full list anyway. There are some of these that I'm really proud of. Particularly Best Actress and Best Adapted Screenplay. Best Picture WALL-E Best Director Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight Best Actor Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler Best Actress Michelle Williams, Wendy and Lucy Best Supporting Actor Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight Best Supporting Actress Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler Best Original Screenplay ...

OFCS Gives Best Picture to 'Wall-E'
Cinematical — ... The Dark Knight and Let the Right One In co-dominated with four awards each. Christopher Nolan took home Best Director for the former, which also won Best Supporting Actor for Heath Ledger's performance, Best Cinematography and Best Original Score. The latter won Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Foreign Language Film, and both Breakthrough awards -- for director Tomas Alfredson and young actress Lina Leandersson. It was then The Wrestler with two wins (Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress), and one awards each for Wendy and ...

The Joy of Imaginary Oscar Ballot Filling. My Vote For "Best of the Year"
Film Experience Blog — ... Oscar nominations are announced tomorrow and, as is this site's tradition, that means all the nominees for the traditional categories in my own prizes, the Film Bitch Awards, had to be announced today. (If you're a new reader, check out last year's) I never know quite how they're going to turn out while I'm doing them. I didn't really expect WALL•E to lead but it has. It has 9 nominations in total. Rachel Getting Married and The Wrestler are tied for the runner up spot with 7 nominations each. Oscar's presumed ...

2008 OSCAR NOMINATION PREDICTIONS
Antagony & Ecstasy — ... 32/40 on the Big 8, and 63/99 overall) Best Picture The Curious Case of Benjamin Button The Dark Knight Frost/Nixon Milk Slumdog Millionaire Alternate: WALL-E Wishful thinking: Happy-Go-Lucky Best Director Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight Gus Van Sant, Milk Alternate: Darren Aronofsky, The Wrestler Wishful thinking: Andrew Stanton, WALL-E Best Actor Clint Eastwood, ...

Oscar nominees announced
cinemarealm.com — ... Angelina Jolie, “Changeling” Melissa Leo, “Frozen River” Meryl Streep, “Doubt” Kate Winslet, “The Reader” BEST ACTOR Frank Langella, “Frost/Nixon” Sean Penn, “Milk” Brad Pitt, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” Mickey Rourke, “The Wrestler” Richard Jenkins, “The Visitor” ...

Fearless Forecast - 'Lycans' Rises Over 'Paul Blart'
Get The Big Picture — ... and The Wrestler going up to 1,000 and 400, respectively. Slumdog should capitalize the most, because of its status as the heavy Oscar favorite. The film has already made $61 million worldwide, and it's only played in eight other countries. It opens in India and several other territories this weekend, and with its expanded run in the U.S., it should definitely be on pace for a $100 million global run in just a handful of weeks. ...

IF I RAN THE OSCARS
Antagony & Ecstasy — ... After Reading The Fall Happy-Go-Lucky My Winnipeg * WALL-E Best Director Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, Burn After Reading Arnaud Desplechin, A Christmas Tale Hou Hsiao-Hsien, Flight of the Red Balloon *Steve McQueen, Hunger Tarsem Singh, The Fall Best Actor Mathieu Amalric, A Christmas Tale Benicio Del Toro, Che Colin Farrell, In Bruges *Richard Jenkins, The Visitor Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler Best Actress Juliette Binoche, Flight of the Red Balloon Catherine Deneuve, ...

And the Oscar nominations go to…
Film Gecko — ... Slumdog Millionaire (Jane’s Pick) Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role: Richard Jenkins for The Visitor Frank Langella for Frost/Nixon Sean Penn for Milk Brad Pitt for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Mickey Rourke for The Wrestler (Jane’s Pick) Best Performance by an ...

THE WRESTLER - The Film Babble Blog Review
film babble blog — THE WRESTLER (Dir. Darren Aronofsky, 2008) For weeks I’ve been dying to “Witness the resurrection of Mickey Rourke” as David Ansen’s (Newsweek) quote declares blaring from commercials, posters, and ...

Now Playing: Mickey Rourke and Michael Sheen, Twice Over
Film Experience Blog — ... one, not two, but 5 Oscar nominees are finally in hundreds of theaters, six if you could The Dark Knight's rerelease. Now that the Academy has deemed them worthy of your eyeballs in ways either major or minor, their distributors have reluctantly signed off on their release. You may commence buying tickets to: Frost/Nixon, Rachel Getting Married, Revolutionary Road, Slumdog Millionaire and The Wrestler. If you do, please report back as the films move from the theoretical to the real for ...

Reel Thoughts: Wrestling with Demons
Movie Dearest — ... On an unseasonably cloudy November day, director Daren Aronofsky and Academy Award-winner Marisa Tomei met local press at the swanky Valley Ho in Scottsdale, Arizona to talk about their new film The Wrestler, starring Mickey Roarke in the title role. The weather fit the film’s cold and depressed New Jersey setting. When I arrived, Aronofsky was already there, mingling with the group. He was so down-to-earth and friendly, I at first mistook him for another critic. ...

You Gotta Give Em Hope Time
Film Experience Blog — ... You can actively vote AGAINST something. That's no way to do awards or "favorites" lists. I suspect this is also what happened to Bruce Springsteen's nomination for The Wrestler. Get enough people in the room with something against a particular nomination happening and it's easy to sabotage. The Original Song category uses a 1-10 point system like the IMDb's and if enough people score something really low to weigh the averages down ( ...

The Film Babble Blog Top Ten Movies Of 2008
film babble blog — ... 5. THE WRESTLER (Dir. Darren Aronofsky) Yeah, it’s true – Mickey Rourke is back and I’ll be surprised as Hell if he doesn’t take home the gold come February because nobody else literally went to the mat like this! Call it a comeback for Randy “The Ram” Robinson who may be washed up and working at a supermarket estranged from his daughter (Evan Rachel Wood) while pinning for a stripper (Marisa Tomei) but he’s overdue for redemption even if it means he’s going down for the count. This character is ...

It's On! Wrestler Throws Down Gauntlet to Mickey Rourke
Get The Big Picture — ... 's really going to go through with it. On Sunday night, he told anyone who would listen at the SAG Awards that he would follow up his Oscar- nominated performance in The Wrestler by stepping into the ring at Wrestlemania 25. Maybe you thought Rourke was just joking around, but now that the WWE has taken up the storyline, there's very little chance this won't happen. ...

Mickey Rourke Throws in the Towel on Wrestlemania
Get The Big Picture — Mickey Rourke's wrestling career was short-lived. The star of The Wrestler told reporters on Sunday at the Screen Actors Guild Awards that he'd be stepping in the ring at Wrestlemania and by the sound of his comments, he'd be wrestling Chris Jericho. Then on Monday, Jericho issued a challenge to Rourke on the WWE's Monday Night Raw. Things took yet another turn Tuesday night, when Rourke was a ...

Film for the Soul Newsround
Film for the Soul — ... on Film, which kicked off 'The Oldest Established Really Important Film Club'. I'm sure to be there for this months film, The Tin Drum by Volker Schlondorff over at Cinema Styles, hopefully I'll see some of you there for the following discussion. 2009 has got off to a good start, cinematically speaking that is, and you can expect the following film reviews soon, Che: Part One, Slumdog Millionaire, The Wrestler and Milk. My continuing series The Soul Focus will ...

'The Wrestler' and Rourke Win Big in London
Get The Big Picture — ... took home the most awards, including the Richard Attenborough award for Best British Film, but it was The Wrestler that was the big winner, earning Film of the Year honors and naming ...

London Film Critics name The Wrestler, Slumdog films of the year
cinemarealm.com — The London Film Critics’ Circle presented the awards for the best achievements in film in 2008 on Wednesday. Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler, starring Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei, was named the best film of the year, while Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire took home the award for Best British Film. Here are all the winners: FILM OF THE YEAR The Wrestler RICHARD ATTENBOROUGH FILM OF THE YEAR Slumdog Millionaire ...

Slumdog Millionaire, Man on Wire win BAFTAs for Best Film
cinemarealm.com — ... Martin McDonagh, In Bruges ADAPTED SCREENPLAY Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE I’ve Loved You So Long ANIMATED FILM Wall-E LEADING ACTOR Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler LEADING ACTRESS Kate Winslet, ...

Mickey Rourke's Old Japanese Commercials
Get The Big Picture — ... is riding high. Thanks to The Wrestler, he's got as good a shot as anyone to win the highest honor in his profession, he just picked up the BAFTA earlier tonight, and with the newfound (or rediscovered) respect for his talent has come a parade of job offers, including Iron Man 2, The Expendables, the remake of 13, and the just-announced St. Vincent with director Walter Hill. ...

BAFTA Winners and Moments
Film Experience Blog — ... there was a Best Craft Services Oscar so Slumdog Millionaire could win that one, too. Best MakeUp & Art Direction The Curious Case of Benjamin Button I know there's been a lot of talk about Button going 0 for 13 at Oscar which would be a record but it's so not going to happen. It should have an easy time in a couple of technical categories. Best Actor Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler This speech was a little like a rusty rehearsal ...

The Wrestler
The Chutry Experiment — ... In Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler, the camera studiously lingers over Randy “The Ram” Robinson as he prepares to go on stage before every match.  Randy labors to get into costume and to prepare his aging body for yet another match with another B-grade wrestler, tugging gauze around pads to protect creaky elbows and knees.  On other occasions, we see Randy injecting himself in the ass with steroids to keep his body toned.  He even hides a small razor blade in his wristband to cut himself later in the match to give his fans–typically crowded into ...

Final Oscar Predictions: Will Slumdog Sweep?
Film Experience Blog — ... in The Wrestler. He's the only true competition for Penn (it's tough to imagine that Pitt, Langella or Jenkins are pulling significant numbers) so the 'Not Sean Again' votes aren't being split. Plus Rourke has an extremely compelling "story" in his comeback and the role fits him like a glove. Of all of the Best Actor nominees his is the performance that most carries his film. Even Penn in Milk has a huge cast of actors and an important topic pulling some of the weight of the film's appeal. ...

2008 OSCAR PREDICTIONS
Antagony & Ecstasy — ... Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler Will Win: Mickey Rourke Alternate: Sean Penn Should Win: Richard Jenkins Easily the hardest to call of the Big Eight. It's a hair's breadth separating two actors who both gave tremendous performances, close to a career-best in each case. I'm running with the Mickey Rourke Comeback Story, especially given that Penn won a scant five years ago. Fuck You For Snubbing Sally Hawkins, Assholes Anne Hathaway, ...

Special Movie Review - The Wrestler
The Moon is a Dead World // horror movie reviews — The Wrestler Sometimes, when one of my friends invites me to go see a movie, I accept on a whim. I do this for two reasons - 1) it's good subject matter for my blog, and 2) I'm interested in movies that I've never heard of. The Wrestler falls in this second category, because before I went and saw it, I had never even heard of the movie. Also, I think I had it confused with the recent horror movie Wrestlemaniac, but either way, I opted to go see this at the theater with my two friends and two other strangers sitting in front of ...

Watch Economic 'Wrestler' Spoof, 'The Uncler'
Get The Big Picture — Here's another great video from Funny or Die, tying the current financial crisis to The Wrestler. It's a better fit than you might think. Though I can't say I'm a big fan of the title The Uncler, it's a spot-on parody of the trailer for The Wrestler, only instead of struggling with personal and professional demons, Uncle Sam wrestles with the worst economic downturn since whenever the last one was. Oh, and in the Marisa Tomei role is ...

2009 Oscar Prediction
YNOT at the Movies — ... in "The Wrestler," yet he has the highest expectation to win. If I were voting, there would be no doubt in my mind that ...

2008 FB AWARDS Completed
Film Experience Blog — ... The last categories I added were Action Sequence and Best Individual Scenes in case you missed that as I did it on the sly in the wee hours last night. Rachel Getting Married led the pack with 16 nominations but WALL•E took home the most medals of various colors, 11. Milk and The Wrestler did well for themselves. The Class (France) and Reprise (Norway), my two favorite foreign films of '08 also scored gold. The Dark ...

The Big 'O': Oscar Gang Bang
Reel Whore — ... scenery had my attention rapt from the start. Some will argue that it's a bit too fantastical to be taken seriously. All year long I watch ridiculous films with clichés of love and loss but the masses expect me to swallow that garbage. (I'm looking at you, Wild Hogs!) Slumdog depicts one man's resolve to rise above his station despite all the odds that are stacked against him. It may be a cliche, but it is something to behold. The Wrestler Release: 12.17.08 1 hour, 55 minutes Rated R See It, ...

'Wrestler', Rourke Win Independent Spirit Awards
Get The Big Picture — The Wrestler was the big winner at the Independent Spirit Awards, with Mickey Rourke winning the penultimate (and media-created) showdown fellow nominee Sean Penn before tomorrow night's Academy Awards. Darren Aronofsky wasn't even nominated for Best Director, which is kind of surprising, but it won Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Cinematography at the much looser awards celebration, which showcase lower budget films. ...

2009 Independent Spirit Awards Winners Announced
FirstShowing.net — ... new films, because there is guaranteed to be at least one you've never heard of in here. Read on for the complete list of nominees and winners from the 24th Independent Spirit Awards. Winners are designated in BOLD. BEST FEATURE Ballast [IMDb] Frozen River [IMDb] Rachel Getting Married [IMDb] Wendy and Lucy [IMDb] The Wrestler [IMDb] BEST FIRST FEATURE Afterschool ...

Oscar Postpartum 2009
film babble blog — ... I did considerably better this time with my Oscar picks than the several years. I got 18 out of 24. Instead of listing all the categories like last year (and of course because they are listed on my last post as well as everywhere else online), I decided to just look at the ones I got wrong: BEST ACTOR: My pick: Mickey Rourke for THE WRESTLER. What won: Sean Penn for MILK. I can’t say I was completely taken aback – I knew ...

Reel change
pullquote — ... Bullock, however. What the hell happened to girlfriend's face ? Last I heard she'd become some tv biker's motorcycle momma, not Jocelyn Wildenstein the Second. I honestly didn't recognize her. The Glorious Ladies of Slate 's Movie Club were right on to mention the harm plastic surgery does to the movies, albeit too cautious. What these actresses need is a proper comeback vehicle. Not The Women , either. More like a distaff JCVD or Wrestler . [It may be too much to hope that Grey Gardens will be that movie for Jessica ...

Cage resigned from The Wrestler
Filmstalker — ... apparently said of his time in The Wrestler : “I resigned from the movie because I didn’t think I had enough time to achieve the look of the wrestler who was on steroids, which I would never do.” He was speaking to Access Hollywood through WENN and ...

Mickey Rourke Back On For Wrestlemania?
Get The Big Picture — Remember when Mickey Rourke was fired up to participate at Wrestlemania XXV? He was on the red carpet for the Screen Actors Guild awards (which he later won) talking trash to WWE superstar ...

CHE: PART TWO - The Film Babble Blog Review
film babble blog — ... a shaved head, and a stiff suit - an image nobody would ever put on a T-shirt. This disguise gets him through customs into Boliva and he sets about meeting his men - fellow Guerillas in the mountains. Unfortunately there is trouble in Guerilla city (sorry) and the ragged fighters find they may be no match for the Bolivian Army. As Che assimilates into the groups of scrappy soliders, Soderbergh shoots del Toro mainly from behind reminding me of Aronofsky's presentation of Rourke in THE WRESTLER but focusing more on Che being engulfed by his surroundings rather than that of a ...

6 Off My Head - The '00's Are For Love
my new plaid pants — ... Randy & Cassidy, The Wrestler Guy & Girl, Once Barry & Lena, Punch Drunk Love ...

Old Grades 36
Barry's Beetchin Movies — ... dir. Wolf B- Taken, dir. Morel B The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, dir. Fincher A+ The Golden Compass, dir. Weitz B- The Uninvited, dirs. The Guard Bros. B Slumdog Millionaire, dir. Boyle A Personal Effects, dir. Hollander B Bride Wars, dir. Winick B The Wrestler, dir. Aronofsky A+ Frozen River, dir. C Hunt ...

Natalie Portman Joins Aronofsky’s Black Swan
The Movie Blog — ... is a pretty hot item right now as a director coming off his award winning film “The Wrestler” (a movie that I actually didn’t like… but I’m the only person on the planet who didn’t so if you haven’t seen it yet you probably should). A project he’s been working on getting off the ground for a couple of years now seems to have finally found life. ...

10 Best Sixth Installments of Film Franchises
SpoutBlog —

Top 50 Hottest Young Actresses - TOP 10
Home — ... But wait, playing Stephanie alongside the totally written-off actor named Mickey in The Wrestler, is another performance I have to mention! Will she sing again and be merry or chose to play a doomed character to get to the next level? ...

Mickey Rourke Goes 'Inside the Actors Studio'
Get The Big Picture — ... He appears to have found some peace, which has also displayed itself in his performances in the past couple of years, especially in the self-referrential role in The Wrestler. But if you go back a few years - not that I'd recommend it for casual viewing - you can see a guy who had just shut it all off. Worse than laziness, really. ...

SPORTS NUT
Antagony & Ecstasy — ... , the directorial debut of Robert Siegel, sometime Onion editor and writer of last year's The Wrestler , is a most fascinating and unclassifiable beast. You couldn't in good faith deny that it's a comedy - but a most blanched-out and miserablist comedy. It is saturated to its bones with sports culture - yet you'd have to work really hard to call it a sports movie. What it is, is a fairly intense character study, and anything else grows out of that. The big fan of the title is Paul Aufiero (Patton Oswalt), a man in his thirties living with his mother (Marcia Jean Kurtz) on ...

tMF TALKBACK: In response to Bartcop's rants- Top 50 Hot Young Actresses
Home — ... , one of Ms. Wood's most popular movies. But for him to miss The Wrestler? The movie by Darren Aronofsky and starring Mickey Rourke? With this remark alone, I'm questioning the diversity and timeliness of Mr. Bartcop's cinematic experience. ...

tMF TALKBACK: In response to Bartcop's rants- Top 10 Hot Young Actresses
Home — ... , one of Ms. Wood's most popular movies. But for him to miss The Wrestler? The movie by Darren Aronofsky and starring Mickey Rourke? With this remark alone, I'm questioning the diversity and timeliness of Mr. Bartcop's cinematic experience. ...

2008 Top Films According to IMDb
Strange Culture — ... top 250 films and curious what currently (today) is on the #250 from 2008 and where it ranks. Of course, this list is imperfect in many many ways and often captures niche audiences, but for fun here's what 2008 films make IMDb's list, post-DVD release. 1. The Dark Knight (IMDb rank: #9 of all time) 2. Wall-E (#43) 3. Slumdog Millionaire (#76) 4. Gran Torino (#84) 5. The Wrestler (#122) 6. In Bruges (#200) 7. The Curious Case of Benjamin ...

The Wrestler: Grindhouse Version
FILMdetail — A very well executed Grindhouse trailer for The Wrestler by jkpyle [Link via /Film] ...

Directors of the Decade: Darren Aronofsky
Film Experience Blog — ... Awards: Requiem and The Wrestler receive Oscar Nominations for acting. The Wrestler gets the Spirit Award for Best Picture. The Fountain goes mostly overlooked (because The Academy has no idea what a good movie score sounds like). ...