The Wrestler

The 80’s hold so many memories for me. Saturday Morning cartoons, Nintendo vs Sega, MTV (its heyday) and WrestleMania! My brother’s and I lived for the WWF. We would watch our heroes Hulk Hogan, Iron Sheik, Andre the Giant battle it out every week until the ultimate match up. We loved these guys and occasionally my older brother would re-enact such moves as the ‘Pile-Driver’ or ‘Body Slam’ on my younger brother and me. Lol. These wrestlers were icons for so many. Later we would find out that our ‘heroes’ had a list of problems from drug abuse to heavy steroid use.

The Wrestler brings a lot of these memories back. Its 80’s ‘Hair’ Band, anthem rock soundtrack and cheering crowds transport you to this world right from the start. It is the defining film in Mickey Rourke’s career. He transforms from an actor into Randy ‘The Ram’ flawlessly. His performance is absolutely stellar. I can’t say enough about how much my heart felt for this character. Although his acting was fantastic it was his physicality that brought this performance home. This man lives his life for the joy and energy of the crowd. It is his air and without it, he cannot exist.

Marisa Tomei plays Cassidy, an over the hill stripper who is a perfect mirror to the character of ‘The Ram’. She is really great in the role. She knows when to hold back and when to let go. Evan Rachel Wood is Randy’s estranged daughter. I’ll be honest she was a bit hard to swallow when first introduced. I almost wish someone else had played this role but in the end, it really didn’t affect my view of the entire film.

The Wrestler is a must see. It is a sweet, well acted, touching story told very well. Rich’s Grade: A

Coraline

Thank goodness there are still some great stories to tell and so what if they scare young children in the process. Newsflash kids! life is scary, get used to it. When I was growing up children's films and stories were scary. There was nothing sweet about Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal or the often overlooked Return to OZ. They were eerie, bizarre and made to ignite the imagination as well as creep us out. The thought that kids can't handle scary images saddens me. Imagine how much real world violence they are exposed to by the news and human history. You can't shield the world from your kids by always looking on the bright side. It has to be understood that there is darkness out there, that's why we value the light so much.

Neil Gaiman's Book and Henry Selick's directing have proven that you can take an audience into a fantastical story that will scare you but bring you to understand 'Be careful what you wish for'. Coraline is so effective as a film. Beautiful and technically amazing, it is definitely a film to catch in theaters. Our theater was packed and very responsive. They were really enjoying themselves while watching. Dakota Fanning and Teri Hatchers voice acting were fantastic. The animation is detailed and viewing it in 3D was a real feast for the eyes. The movie is quirky, smart, scary, funny and overall enjoyable. If you liked films like Nightmare Before Christmas and Corpse Bride, then you will enjoy Coraline. Rich's Grade: A