Let's discuss Mickey Rourke ...

Has he grown as an actor?

Was he the heir apparent to Brando during the days of Diner and The Pope of Greenwich Village?

When he lost his looks, did he still have his chops as an actor?

 

I don't know. He was riding high for a time. I recall he started to slide when he took up boxing.

 

I think it's also when he was saying that acting is for pussies, and taunting studio execs.

Then the boxing, the face damage, the surgery ... but he has that handful of films where he could have been in another league right now.

 

Mickey seemed to go off the deep end after Johnny Handsome. He got into boxing and started going around in a dirty hoodie with some weird shiny stuff smeared all over his chin. Maybe it was his way of gaining a little equilibrium. Who knows? Good actor/strange dude. Last time I saw him was on the Graham Norton show, vigorously hitting on a young starlet about 1/4 his age. God love him....

 

The Wrestler-that's about it.
New face Mickey...that is.

 

Great in Sin City. Perfect for the role, the role of a lifetime.

 

Poor Mickey. The only other comparable Hollywood 'flameout' would be Gary Busey!

 

I've always liked him. I don't like his life and career choices, but I like him. Straight outta Schenectady, he's a hometown hero.

With "Sin City" and "The Wrestler" I thought he was ready to start making meaningful films again. I guess something about "Iron Man II" soured him. I like the film, though probably only due to the presence of Mickey and Sam Rockwell. After that he went back the 'straight to vide'o garbage he was making before the comeback. And then he had another boxing match in the middle of all that!

I love films like 'Diner" and "Pope of Greenwich Village". And "Rumble Fish!" What a great film. Mickey and Dennis Hopper as father and son. Whew! Bukowski's "Barfly" is a hoot too. I had to get the region-free blu-ray from overseas.

And Mickey shines in several small roles in the 90's, like Coppola's "The Rainmaker". And look! There's Mickey again in "Buffalo '66"! And how about Sean Penn's "The Pledge"? Mickey is on screen for all of 90 seconds as an incarcerated man who's daughter had been murdered, and in that 90 seconds he steals the show and makes it look so damned easy. With all the headlines and gossip it's easy to forget he's such a gifted actor.

I was pissed when Penn won for "Milk" instead of Mickey. Mick will never get another shot at an Oscar the way things are going. I hope he still has another great performance in him and can be bothered to make an effort, like he did in "The Wrestler", again. For him I guess it's easier to take the easy paycheck and keep living the good life.

 

Norton show. Wow ..Justin Timberlake must have been annoyed.

 

He was great in both Angel Heart and Year of the Dragon.

 

The movie about IRA was superb.

 

I have a fondness for Francesco where he played St. Francis of Asissi.

 

Banned from Britain because of it.

 

Really? Didn't know that.

 

Great post. I couldn’t have said it better.

I did not realize he’s in “Buffalo 66” and I’ve seen that movie probably 3 times. What scenes?

 

the opening shot in this compilation clip ...

 

Barfly was terrific. One wonders, though, how much he had to act to play this role, and how much came naturally.



I also though he was good in Killshot. Of course, I'm a big Elmore Leonard fan.

 

'Barfly'...must have seen that movie 20 times at the theater. Mickey nailed Bukowski in that one. The challenge, if I forget it correctly, was to not remember how I got home after each screening. The 1980's...such a glorious blur.

 

I really liked him in Prayer For the Dying (1987 with Bob Hoskins). Might have been a stretch for him but I can watch that little film over and over.

-s1m0n-

 

always a fan, but I cannot believe how he wreaked his face!

 

excellent flick!

 

really enjoyed this movie! sad though...

 

yea, a fool with no helmet...love him.

 

When did he lose his looks? Well, he wasn't a pretty boy in Barfly but it's a great performance opposite Faye Dunaway.

 

He was Great in The Pope of Greenwich Village.