playing oneself is not acting

Rating: 2/10 (28 January 2009)

I admire Mickey Rourke for having the courage and the chutzpah to restart his career after some horrendous difficulties. Kudos to Mickey!
Does his "comeback performance" as so many have called it in The Wrestler deserve an Oscar? No. Oscar performances for best acting are about acting, not about playing oneself, no matter how compellingly one plays oneself.
The best acting by a male performer this year has been by Sean Penn, who delivered an uncanny portrayal of Harvey Milk, a performance bearing little resemblance to the person of Sean Penn and yet a totally believable and engaging performance.
I welcome more performances by the talent that Mickey Rourke can be, but The Wrestler does not showcase anything special by any of the people involved.