The XX Factor : Mickey Rourke

Amor Vincit Omnia, Academy Award-Style

Bonnie Goldstein — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 19:35:00 GMT

Despite her courage , Jess, though Marisa Tomei performed her heart out as the pole dancer Mickey Rourke courts in The Wrestler , her ( OK, let's call her "feminist" ) character didn't quite sell me — showing more compassion than passion in the film's...(read more)

Meat the Press

Dahlia Lithwick — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 19:24:00 GMT

I came away from The Wrestler feeling exactly as you did, Hanna . This was a movie for women. The common denominator here isn’t just that Rourke and Tomei have allowed themselves to be exploited and objectified. It’s that screaming, frothing men are the...(read more)

A Very Courageous Pole Performance

Jessica Grose — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 15:42:00 GMT

I find the notion that The Wrestler is a feminist flick intriguing, but ultimately it's problematic. Although Rourke's character is trapped in an endless cycle of bodily abuse and exploitation, the biological women in the film are not particularly shining...(read more)

Is The Wrestler a Chick Flick?

Hanna Rosin — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 12:46:00 GMT

Whether or not to see The Wrestler is a common argument among my couple friends these days. But I was surprised to learn that The Wrestler, for which Mickey Rourke is sure to win an Oscar tonight, has a distinctly feminist edge. Or at least it settles...(read more)

What Oscar Winners and Presidents Both Need

Willa Paskin — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 19:22:00 GMT

The Oscars are Sunday night ( maybe you heard ). When Kate Winslet finally gets awarded the shiny, gold-plated, bald phallus she's been so volubly longing for, I'm going to feel tempted to throw the remote at the television while damning Academy voters...(read more)