Tagline: “With a little luck, this could be my ticket back on top.â€
Translation: Real-life parallel alert.
Verdict: Oscar buzz for Mickey Rourke’s big comeback seems to have plateaued a bit lately, so now seems like a pretty good time to release the trailer for The Wrestler, both to re-hype the film and to give us a small taste before the movie comes out in a month and it’s only mentioned in connection with Rourke’s award bid. Anyway, it was already evident from the movie stills and Rourke’s Wikipedia entry, but dude really is perfect for the role: It’s hard to look away from his mashed, hints–of–Bell’s palsy face, and he’s achieved just the right level of cheesy muscularity. Mix it up with a string of restrained, tearful moments, a new Bruce Springsteen track playing over the proceedings, and a crucial Todd Barry appearance, and we’re just about sold.