AltWeeklies Wire
Past Their Prime: Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei Shine in 'The Wrestler'new
On the strength of the filming technique, the performances and the thoughtfulness of the wrestling sequences, The Wrestler earned a place on the best-of lists of many pretentious and snobbish film critics. In spite of that, it's actually entertaining and engrossing.
Tucson Weekly |
James DiGiovanna |
01-22-2009 |
Reviews
The Long Term Method-Acting Project Known as Mickey Rourke Goes For The Goldnew
The Wrestler is a bleak, strangely inspiring tale of a lonely man struggling with advancing age and a desperate dedication to the brutal grind of professional wrestling.
Baltimore City Paper |
Joe MacLeod |
01-15-2009 |
Reviews
Darren Aronofsky Talks About Mickey Rourke's Comeback in 'The Wrestler'new
In the 1980s, Rourke was one of his generation's best actors, but he ditched the movies to try to make it as a pro boxer. When he discovered he needed Hollywood, it no longer needed him. Even director Darren Aronofsky was initially skeptical.
San Diego CityBeat |
Anders Wright |
01-07-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Mickey Rourke Stages a Comeback in 'The Wrestler'new
He's pretty much a lock for a Best Actor Oscar nomination, and he deserves it, though Sean Penn, for Milk, is a better bet to win.
Los Angeles CityBeat |
Andy Klein |
12-19-2008 |
Reviews
The Hype for Mickey Rourke in 'The Wrestler' is an Embarrassmentnew

Rourke's too good for this crap and has proved it consistently throughout his up-and-down career. Forget The Wrestler's hype; it's worth remembering Rourke's finest performance and best film, Walter Hill's 1989 Johnny Handsome.
New York Press |
Armond White |
12-18-2008 |
Reviews
Mickey Rourke Returns as 'The Wrestler'new
However you term it, The Wrestler, at least where Rourke is concerned, almost didn't happen at all. Although Aronofsky and screenwriter Robert D. Siegel developed the project with Rourke in mind, they found it impossible to secure even the modest financing required for a sometimes explicitly violent wrestling movie starring an actor who hadn't headlined a major motion picture since the first George Bush was in office.
L.A. Weekly |
Scott Foundas |
09-26-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Bukowski Film is "Write On"new
The new Bukowski film isn't just another slumming poet pic.
San Francisco Bay Guardian |
Dennis Harvey |
08-07-2004 |
Reviews