I watched this movie because I am a Mickey Rourke's fan. I was also curious about the chemistry between Rourke and Debra Feuer, Rourke's first wife, who appears as his love interest in Homeboy. While I am not a boxing fan, I was also curious to see a movie for which Rourke had also written the screenplay (as "Sir Eddie Cook").
Rourke absolutely nails the performance of Johnny Walker, a shy country boy who is emboldened by whiskey and the excitement of the boxing ring. Along the way, we begin to understand that Johnny is either drinking on the job or suffering from brain damage (or both) which causes blurry vision. Johnny comes off as a bit strange but he is mostly shy. He is part fighter/part romantic, attracted to assertive, capable women (the parallels with the life of the real Mickey Rourke are obvious). Johnny falls for the character played by his first wife- an assertive, independent, naturally beautiful woman who loves horses & bikes.
This movie really caught me off guard in its artistic vision, particularly in the display and depth of emotional expression and empathy from Rourke who wrote this in his 20s or 30s, apparently. (He told his costar Christopher Walken, about the script, apparently, when they met on the set of "Heaven's Gate," almost 10 years prior to starring together in "Homeboy.").
Through the character and narrative of Johnny/"Homeboy," this film explores themes of youth & innocence, survival, and what drives a man to keep living, to maintain hope for a beautiful life. There is a bit of a deceit in first introducing us to Johnny- as if we are meant to view him as one dimensional, boring, simple. As the film progresses, it is impossible not to be drawn in by Johnny's complexity- that is, the jarring contrast between Johnny's authentic tenderness and what drives him to fight, even when he knows he may die from it. We even sympathize with Christopher Walker's character- a criminal who was abandoned as a child. While there is an underlying narrative based upon a fighter who is too old to be the best there is & too young to be satisfied with his professional accomplishments, this film also tells a story about finding meaning & beauty in the context of unrelenting ugliness. Finally, the music by Eric Clapton deserves recognition for perfectly reflecting and linking the moments it follows.
Rourke absolutely nails the performance of Johnny Walker, a shy country boy who is emboldened by whiskey and the excitement of the boxing ring. Along the way, we begin to understand that Johnny is either drinking on the job or suffering from brain damage (or both) which causes blurry vision. Johnny comes off as a bit strange but he is mostly shy. He is part fighter/part romantic, attracted to assertive, capable women (the parallels with the life of the real Mickey Rourke are obvious). Johnny falls for the character played by his first wife- an assertive, independent, naturally beautiful woman who loves horses & bikes.
This movie really caught me off guard in its artistic vision, particularly in the display and depth of emotional expression and empathy from Rourke who wrote this in his 20s or 30s, apparently. (He told his costar Christopher Walken, about the script, apparently, when they met on the set of "Heaven's Gate," almost 10 years prior to starring together in "Homeboy.").
Through the character and narrative of Johnny/"Homeboy," this film explores themes of youth & innocence, survival, and what drives a man to keep living, to maintain hope for a beautiful life. There is a bit of a deceit in first introducing us to Johnny- as if we are meant to view him as one dimensional, boring, simple. As the film progresses, it is impossible not to be drawn in by Johnny's complexity- that is, the jarring contrast between Johnny's authentic tenderness and what drives him to fight, even when he knows he may die from it. We even sympathize with Christopher Walker's character- a criminal who was abandoned as a child. While there is an underlying narrative based upon a fighter who is too old to be the best there is & too young to be satisfied with his professional accomplishments, this film also tells a story about finding meaning & beauty in the context of unrelenting ugliness. Finally, the music by Eric Clapton deserves recognition for perfectly reflecting and linking the moments it follows.