January 17, 2009

Sweet Child of Mine

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I went to New York City once and saw a play with Edward Norton, called Burn This!. It was so powerful, so mood-altering, so soul-shaking, that I couldn't speak for a couple of hours after I left the theater. I loved that feeling - the feeling that art can change you.

Last night I saw The Wrestler. Now, Mickey Rourke is no friend of mine. The only movie I ever saw him in was 9 1/2 Weeks, which I had to watch for a feminist film class. That was awful. I still get shivers when I think about it. Ick. Ick. No, I actually avoided watching any Mickey Rourke films after that.

But when I heard about The Wrestler and I heard about how sad and alone Mickey Rourke actually was in real life, I felt compelled to watch it. The way he thanked his dog in his Golden Globe speech, the way his face, broken and ill-repaired, displayed a hopeful smile. I had to watch his comeback.

It was a beautiful movie. Parts of it difficult to watch, graphic, bloody-wise, but it was integral to the character building - to show how damaged he was. A flawed and gentle character, who tried and failed at relationships. I could not stop crying when it was over. I felt stunned and awed by the performances. And I felt changed by it.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow you missed Rourke in the 80's ?He was easily one of the best actors of the era.He was brilliant in Angel Heart,Diner,Pope of Greenwich Village etc.

Sara said...

The film was heartbreaking and so difficult for me to watch, both visually and emotionally.