5 of Mickey Rourke's best movies
It was a heck of a comeback story when Mickey Rourke, who'd made a name for himself as a pretty-boy leading man in the '80s, emerged from self-imposed exile in the world of professional boxing to take up acting full-time again.
But with a new, significantly less-pretty face, Rourke, 61, has moved onto weirdos, bad guys and dudes who generally have their faces pummeled. And it's great.
He's back in theaters this week reprising the role that jump-started his career — Marv, in the sequel to 2005's "Sin City." In celebration, here's a look at the actor's five best film roles.
"The Wrestler" (2008): Director Darren Aronofsky made brilliant use of whatever it is that's happened to Rourke's face over the years by casting him as Randy "the Ram" Robinson, an aging pro wrestler with a host of health problems and an estranged daughter. Filmed with scrappy, handheld camera work and outfitted with production design that's as grimy as the strip clubs and trailer parks Randy frequents, the movie feels like a primal howl of pain and regret. And it brings enough pathos to the world of professional wrestling to make Guns N' Roses "Sweet Child O' Mine" bring a tear to your eye.
"Sin City" (2005): Robert Rodriguez co-directed this comic-book adaptation with the comic's creator, Frank Miller, bringing the neo-noir comics to hyper-stylized life. Made primarily on a digital backlot in high-contrast black-and-white shot through with shocks of color, it's a sexy-looking film and a fine vehicle for Rourke's comeback. And he plays the best character — Marv, a big-hearted lug out to avenge a murdered prostitute. What's not to love?
"Angel Heart" (1987): This stylish horror-thriller is a masterclass of atmosphere, and it sets the stage for one of Rourke's finest performances. He plays Harry Angel, a disheveled private investigator hired by a mysterious man named Louis Cyphre (Robert De Niro) to find a man named Johnny Favourite, with whom he has debts to settle. The case plunges Angel into a world of voodoo and madness in New Orleans, as he follows the clues to a hell of a twist ending.
"Rumble Fish" (1983): It's the other Francis Ford Coppola movie adapted from an S.E. Hinton novel. Shot in black-and-white with avant-garde film-noir flash and set to an experimental score, it centers on the relationship between teen hoodlum Rusty James (Matt Dillon) and his older brother and former gang leader, Motorcycle Boy, played by Rourke at the height of his cool. Rebellious Rusty wants to be just like his biker brother, but Motorcycle Boy is desperate to escape the reputation he can't seem to shake.
"Diner" (1982): "Do you ever get the feeling that there's something going on that we don't know about?" In a movie full of great lines, that one probably best sums up the spirit of one of the great character-driven ensemble films. Barry Levinson let banter take the center stage in a free-flowing examination of male friendship. A group of friends in their early 20s (Rourke, Steve Guttenberg, Daniel Stern, Kevin Bacon and Tim Daly) come of age in a 1959 Baltimore diner, ruminating on life, love and just about everything else as they stand on the precipice of the end of an era.
Reach the reporter at barbara.vandenburgh@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8371. Twitter.com/babsvan.