Gone Away, Come Back: Mickey Rourke

I've always loved Mickey Rourke, even as he became a huge freak seemingly bent on destroying his acting career. There was always something about him onscreen that made him the center of any scene, even when the movie flat out sucked. Check out this great and thorough article by Shelia O'Malley on his 25-yr career on The House Next Door. O'Malley on his latest film, The Wrestler:

It is a great performance, one that I am still processing and thinking about. I am not sure where Mickey Rourke fits in now. He "fit in" when he was young because he made it to the Alpha-Dog position of male Hollywood stars, and was gorgeous and sexy. He can no longer rely on those things. He must rely on something else that is much more permanent: his talent. He needs to choose wisely, and the problem still remains that it is difficult to cast Rourke properly, even more so now.

I can't wait to see the Wrestler.