Show That Sucker

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Last night's Mickey Rourke interview on Charlie Rose was really some kind of beautiful. I haven't felt quite so affected, softened and soothed by a one-on-one in a long time. The vast majority of Academy members have voted by now and there's probably no changing fate at this stage, but Fox Searchlight (or someone) has to get that interview captured, embedded and sent out to Hollywood Elsewhere and everyone else. It was good for the soul, good for the heart, good all around. 1:07 pm update: Here it is on Rose's site.

Rose always zealously guards his interviews, it's always hard to find embed codes for them, and when they do show up it's always several days if not weeks later. But Fox Searchlight needs to exert pressure upon Rose and his producers and put it out there rapidamente. And I don't mean Monday or Tuesday. Now.

I've felt admiration and grudging respect for Rourke before but I fell in love with him last night, as far as that's feasible or possible from an electronic remove. I don't care if it was an act. I loved it anyway.

That resolution he showed, that knowledge that he needs to focus on the better angels of his nature and not allow the hard side to run the show ever again. The admission that for him it's not one day at a time but almost one hour at a time, and that he knows deep down it could all fall apart again if he's not careful, cautious, focused. His calm determination that no matter what goes down there's no stopping him, no quitting now. His saying that if Penn wins he'll stand up and cheer because he's great and a brother and maybe he'll have his turn a year or two down the road. That quiet, settled, almost-dweeby quality he showed with those black horn-rim glasses...man!

Someone has to grab that interview and put it out there right away. It was important, landmark, for the ages...please.

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on February 13, 2009 at 6:03 AM

comment #1

Josh Massey says ...

Rourke's possible win is the only reason to watch the ceremony. It's a chance for the Academy to do something truly memorable - which, of course, means Penn will get it.

Oh, and off-topic, but I finally saw W. last night. So-so, I guess - good scenes that don't add up to a great whole. I gotta ask, though. How come the Razzies haven't been RENAMED after Thandie Newton? She was worse than the kids in Gran Torino, which I didn't think was possible. As she's generally a good actress, I have to blame Stone for the godawful casting.

Posted by Josh Massey at February 13, 2009 7:08 AM

comment #2

austin111 says ...

I love Mickey Rourke or have loved him. For years I wondered where the great and sweet actor I remembered went. Fortunately some vestige remains. It's enormous when a great actor suddenly reappears much in the same way that Brando did again at the time of The Godfather and Last Tango. Those performances re-established a broken down actor. Alas, they were his last truly great performances and he generally sank into the doldrums again. I hope this isn't Mickey's last great performance. I'd love to see him win this year, Penn notwithstanding.

Posted by austin111 at February 13, 2009 7:46 AM

comment #3

Rod32303 says ...

The cool thing between these two is that they have been friends for a quarter of a century. In the latest Rolling Stone, Penn speaks of Rourke in loving fashion, saying that he wept openly after viewing Mickey's performance in "The Wrestler" and that when Rourke tried to tell him to beware of the gossip bullshit he supposedly said about his performance, Penn stopped him and said he didn't want to hear it and wouldn't believe it anyway.

Rourke was so gracious towards Penn after working with him in "The Pledge" and also this whole awards circuit thing, getting advice from Penn, etc.

They're a cool two some. Jenkins, Langella and even Pitt are all deserving...but I need it to be one of these two. Penn's work moved me more; Rourke's is moving many....we'll see.

Posted by Rod32303 at February 13, 2009 8:33 AM

comment #4

Sabina E says ...

He's always been the underdog (sort of like Robert Downey Jr) so I've got a soft spot for him as well.

Posted by Sabina E at February 13, 2009 8:39 AM

comment #5

ElstonGunnAICN says ...

Agreed. It was a great interview. Ol' Charlie actually stayed out of the way for the first half of the hour -- refraining from run-on questions and interrupting Rourke's answers. There were also a few very obvious edits and it made me want to see the whole raw conversation.

Posted by ElstonGunnAICN at February 13, 2009 8:44 AM

comment #6

winchinchala says ...

Usually, I love Charlie Rose's interviews because he has such a wide variety of people, he is forced to bend and relax and think every which way to lure questions from people. Come on. What other interviewer has on their CV: panel discussion on Monica Lewinsky; Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the usually silent Bobby Deniro? I love to watch Charlie think, flaunt how well researched his questions are. But last night, my eyes were not on Charlie the interviewer. They transfixed on one humble, forthcoming, articulate and very attractive Mickey Rourke. All of us had wondered what had happened to the somewhat arrogant, very sexy star of: Diner; Nine 1/2 Weeks; Angel Heart; Barfly and Black Orchid. In the past years he seemed to have become an easy target for the press as a "has been." At last he had a chance to explain. He held back nothing. Mickey sat there looking every bit the bad boy in a big shiny new leather jacket and hip orange-tinted shades, but he was every bit the cool gentleman. His words, his confession of where he had been emotionally due to losing someone he loved a deeply, allowing a career to fade and ultimately himself lassoed all of me. It was a powerful, heartrending story of his own death in a way and how through sleeping on a couch, the love of Chihuahuas and the kindness of true friends such as Stallone, Sean Penn Springsteen. He was reborn. Mickey has a valuable message to everyone, though he did not describe it as such, he discussed facing the other monsters in the world, not drugs or alcohol, the other demons we all have in us. And he went on to describe the challenges he faced in staring down the opportunity to work at the top of his game again with Darren Aronofsky a no-nonsense director. Mickey's story of loss, struggle, rebirth, friendship, Chihuahuas and hope was inspiring. It brought tears to my eyes. Hip Hip Hooray for Mickey! Awesome interview. Awesome Man. (Thanks Charlie)

Posted by winchinchala at February 13, 2009 9:08 AM

comment #7

Side Salad says ...

That interview was a thing of beauty, except for when Rose kept pressing MR to discuss "the issues" from early in his life. Rourke clenched like a fist. Kudos to Rose for saving that until near the end of the chat.

Posted by Side Salad at February 13, 2009 10:04 AM

comment #8

George Prager says ...

oooooooh,oooooooh Mickey!!!!!

Thandie Newton in W. is horrendous. Like Daryl Hannah and Sean Young in WALL STREET.

Posted by George Prager at February 13, 2009 12:54 PM

comment #9

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comment #10

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At last he had a chance to explain. He held back nothing. Mickey sat there looking every bit the bad boy in a big shiny new leather jacket and hip orange-tinted shades, but he was every bit the cool gentleman. His words, his confession of where he had been emotionally due to losing someone he loved a deeply, allowing a career to fade and ultimately himself lassoed all of me.

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