Will 'The Wrestler' get hold of an Oscar for Mickey Rourke?

Could the seemingly unthinkable happen with Mickey Rourke actually being recognized come awards time for "The Wrestler"?

This fourth film from director Darren Aronofsky, screens in Venice tonight and then in Toronto on Sunday night. But already the first two reviews –- from the trades –- are qualified raves, especially for Rourke. Though the movie is still seeking distribution such deals are often made in Toronto. There it is being showcased as a special presentation with a fancy red carpet premiere at the Elgin, a 1920s jewel of a theater.

And the profile of the picture could be boosted immeasurably by this buzzed-about performance from Mickey Rourke. As the down-on-his-luck title character looking for one last chance, Rourke's role echoes his own life. The trajectory of his career has been from up and comer ("Diner," 1982) to solid leading performance ("Barfly," 1987) to character actor ("The Rainmaker," 1997) though with many low points along the way. And now, after a decade in the wings, Rourke could be poised to stage a classic comeback.

Stephen Farber of the Hollywood Reporter neatly summarizes "The Wrestler": "Rourke plays a one-time wrestling star, Randy the Ram, still hustling 20 years past his prime. The strongest scenes are the opening sections that simply delineate Ram's daily routines. He continues to perform in low-rent arenas, and the film does a fine job revealing the mixture of fakery and bruising physical assaults that are part of the wrestling game."

For Farber, "This sharp slice of life is not quite enough to sustain a movie, and so writer Robert Siegel has come up with a plot that hits too many predictable notes. When Ram suffers a heart attack, he tries to make changes in his life, reaching out to a tough-as-nails stripper (Marisa Tomei) and to his estranged daughter (Evan Rachel Wood)."

In conclusion, Farber thought, "Rourke dispenses with all vanity to plumb the depths of this well-meaning but severely damaged man. Tomei delivers one of her most arresting performances, again without any trace of vanity. Wood's part is smaller, but she captures the scalding anger of a woman neglected for most of her life."

And Todd McCarthy of Variety was even more impressed. As he writes, "Talk about comebacks. After many years in the wilderness and being considered MIA professionally, Mickey Rourke, just like the washed-up character he plays, attempts a return to the big show in 'The Wrestler.' Not only does he pull it off, but Rourke creates a galvanizing, humorous, deeply moving portrait that instantly takes its place among the great, iconic screen performances." He found the actor, "physically imposing at 57, with a face that bespeaks untold battering and alteration, simply staggering as Ram. The camera is rarely off him, and one doesn't want it to be, so entirely does he express the full life of this man with his every word and gesture. Ram's life has been dominated by pain in all its forms, but he's also devoted it to the one thing he loves and excels at, so he asks for no sympathy; he may have regrets, but no complaints."

McCarthy made special mention of Tomei: "As vibrant — and as naked — as she was in last year's 'Before the Devil Knows You're Dead,' Tomei is in top, emotionally forthright form as she charts a life passage similar to Ram's, if much less extreme." In sum, McCarthy thought this, "an elemental story simply and brilliantly told, Darren Aronofsky's fourth feature is a winner from every possible angle, although it will require deft handling by a smart distributor to overcome public preconceptions about Rourke, the subject matter and the nature of the film."