REVIEW: THE WRESTLER (****)

I don't need to write a lengthy piece about Darren Aronofsky's masterpiece The Wrestler (****). It's just not necessary. It's a perfect film. There isn't one false moment, there are no wasted opportunities, and there is zero sense of pretension in this quietly powerful motion picture. Coming from a unique stylist like Aronofsky, whose previous efforts include the brain-tingling, micro-budgeted thriller Pi, the hard-core, drug-addiction drama Requiem for a Dream, and the metaphysical and totally out-there sci-fi romance The Fountain, The Wrestler is no less accomplished as those films, but in a very different way. Working with Italian cinematographer Maryse Alberti and emulating the films of the Dardenne brothers by shooting with naturalistic light and hand-held cameras, Aronofsky creates a dirty, gritty, lived-in atmosphere where his potentially self-destructing characters are set free. Working from a tender yet emotionally and physically violent original screenplay by Robert Siegel, Aronofsky also benefits from having the performance of the year at the center of his tale. Mickey Rourke is nothing less than stunning and completely believable as Randy "The Ram" Robinson, a washed-up professional wrestling superstar from the 1980's who barely eeks out a meager existence by wrestling in run-down gyms and local auditoriums. He's got a messed up relationship with this estranged daughter (well played by Evan Rachel Wood, an actress who I have previously disliked over and over) that never seems to take a turn in the right direction. And this is to say nothing of his mega-crush on Cassidy (Marisa Tomei, excellent as usual and frequently nude), a single-mom stripper who exploits her body on stage much in the same fashion as Randy does in the ring. Siegel's screenplay dives into the obvious parallels between the stripping and wrestling worlds, making the case that both Randy and Cassidy are essentially the same people going through the same issues. I refuse to elaborate any more on the plot -- you should discover all of the amazing beats to this story on your own. Rourke, who with this performance announces to the film world that he's back for good, creates one of the most richly drawn screen characters of the decade; his work sits right next to Daniel Day Lewis in There Will Be Blood and Benicio Del Toro in Things We Lost in the Fire, performances that I consider to be some of the best in recent memory. The wrestling action is appropriately bloody and visceral; it would have been dishonest for it to be portrayed any way else. The filmmakers want you to feel exactly what it's like to be in the ring and they really bring it. Professional wrestling is one of America's favorite sources of entertainment, and there is something distinctly American about The Wrestler, even while its themes of redemption are universal. And just wait for the incredible ending – it’s absolutely true to everything that has come before it. This is tough, magnificent filmmaking, and the best American film of 2008. If Rourke doesn't take the Oscar for best actor, then it'll be a shame, and a crime.

GREAT AD

Last night I went to a screening of the 2008 Cannes/Clio award winning commercials. Still one of the best ways to spend two hours in a darkened theater. What you get to see on these reels is astonishing -- commercials that truly raise the bar in terms of artistry and narrative ambition. This one was one of my favorites from the reel last night. Truly inspired stuff.

NEW POSTERS

I love the work of director Tony Scott. Just love his output. Nobody makes action flicks the way he does. From Top Gun to The Last Boyscout, from Enemy of the State to Domino, the guy brings it every single time. He's been refining his signature style over the last few years, and this summer brings his latest action-fest, a reimagining of the 70's classic The Taking of Pelham 123. Starring frequent collaborator Denzel Washington (Crimson Tide, Man on Fire, Deja Vu) and John Travolta (in bad-guy mode), the film is about a cop (Washington) who tries to stop a domestic terrorist (Travolta) from hijacking a NYC subway car. The script is by David Koepp (at the very least) and the release date is 6/12/09. I cannot wait to see it.

Arriving in theaters this April is the reportedly extra-insane Crank: High Voltage, the sequel to the massively entertaining (and amazingly offensive) Crank. I'm a big Jason Statham fan (go rent The Bank Job -- awesome movie), and after watching what filmmakers Neveldine/Taylor brought to their first installment, I'll be in the theater opening weekend to see what they've recently cooked up. Nothing beats the original's "needle-in-the-heart" poster design, but this one is appropriately nuts.

THREE SENTENCE DVD REVIEW: THE DUCHESS (***)

Beautifully designed and gorgeously photographed, Saul Dibb's The Duchess (***) boasts remarkable production values and a sturdy narrative concerning 18th century aristocrat Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire (the always lovely Keira Knightley) and her loveless marriage to the extremely despicable Duke of Devonshire (Ralph Fiennes). The film functions as a sad reminder of how terrible women had it back in those times and how men of power could control anyone's life that entered their orbit. It's a thematically dark movie but the sharp performances and rich atmosphere keep the movie from becoming a completely depressing enterprise.

MINI REVIEW: TAKEN (***)

"Don't make a mess!" That instantly hysterical line of dialogue spoken by a secondary character to Liam Neeson's Bryan Mills in Pierre Morel's shamelessly entertaining (and often sleazy) actioner Taken (***) sort of sums up the entire picture. A total retread of the Schwarzenegger 80's programmer Commando, Taken is a quick (89 minutes) and completely predictable time-waster that has done surprisingly brisk box office. Not that it's a terrible film -- it's well done for what it is and offers people fast, undemanding entertainment. The set-up is incredibly simple: Mills, an ex-CIA operative, has to rescue his 17 year old daughter Kim (an unconvincing Maggie Grace, who is 26 years old) from Paris-based sex-slave traffickers. Kim and her friend are kidnapped almost immediately upon landing in France, and Mills, a "preventer" who knows about 50 ways to kill a person, goes on a one-man vengeance spree, tracking down the Arab and Albanian baddies and sending them to their graves. The film, from the Luc Besson factory line of European-flavored action movies, is nowhere near as exciting as Morrel's previous outing, the boldly dynamic District B-13. Dialogue, by Besson and usual co-writer Robert Mark Kamen, is flat and drab, and the plotting is highly preposterous. But what keeps the film chugging along, aside from the visceral fight sequences and numerous shoot-outs (which Morel stages with solid craftsmanship), is Neeson's steely and manly performance as a father who will stop at nothing to get his daughter back. It's a hoot to see him, at 56 years of age, kicking ass and taking names. The action cinematography goes to great lengths to show that Neeson is doing all (or most of) his own stunts, and the film is refreshingly free of CGI trickery (though some process shots of characters driving in cars are pretty awful). There are shades of Man on Fire and many other revenge flicks all throughout Taken; it's as derivative as it can be. And as the body count rises, you get the sense that Mills could out do Jack Bauer in a game of "Let's see how many terrorists I can off in one day." Taken has been blessed with a dynamic trailer that has lured people into the theater for some easy, revenge-motivated entertainment. Molded by the Bourne series, the film doesn't have half the brains of that franchise, but if all you're looking for is a fun and forgettable action movie to fill up an evening, Taken will fit the bill.

QUICK THOUGHTS

Henry Selick's acid-trip-of-a-film Coraline (****) is amazing. In every way.

Taken (***) was an average action movie with above average action scenes and a manly performance from Liam Neeson.

The Duchess tonight.

PAUL BLART'S DEMONIC COUSIN?

The film is called Observe and Report and it's from Jody Hill, the director of The Foot Fist Way. Looks hysterical.