Good but Aronosky has done better

Rating: 6/10 (18 December 2008)

There's not a lot of special efforts here so a lot rests of Mickey Rouke's shoulders. Is he a bit pathetic? Yes. Is he a mess of a human being? Yes. But that's exactly what's part of the charm who goes out with the risk of having another heart attack.
After all, it's his own fault that his daughter can't stand him. It's his own fault he lands just about the most pathetic job at a supermarket he could find.
The one bright light he has is Marissa Tomei's character who's worried about crossing the line about making friends with customers. She works as a stripper in a low class strip joint. She does change her mind but is she too late?
This movie is not for the squeamish. We see Rouke to staple guns, self inflicted razor cuts, unexpected shots to the head as well as snorting coke, unprotected sex in the bathroom and going through a heart attack.
But for me, this doesn't completely ring true. There are moments of levity in this that's much needed. Problem I see here is where does Rouke go from here?