The Look of The Wrestler

Is The Wrestler emerging as stealth Best Picture contender on the strength of Micky Rourke’s performance and solid backing from critics in its corner? It currently stands at 82 on metacritic, and Owen Gleiberman says:

Aronofsky plays off Rourke’s fallen-icon status by feasting on that spectacular, pulped wreck of a face. Yet from within that mountain of wounded flesh, Rourke gives Randy a deep, slow voice of disarming gentleness. Randy is the soul of decency encased in a monster’s physique, with a buried sadness that, pushed far enough, explodes into rage…

The Wrestler is like “Rocky” made by the Scorsese of “Mean Streets.” It’s the rare movie fairy tale that’s also a bravura work of art.

Could the Academy hand us the perfect planetary alignment of Aronofsky, Boyle, Fincher, Nolan, and Van Sant as Best Director nominees? Thanks to glimmer for pointing us this audio slideshow where Aronofsky explains how he created a visual style for The Wrestler that matches its ravaged subject.