The Wrestler

The Wrestler marks the first time in ages anyone has entrusted Rourke with a lead role, let alone a challenging, sympathetic one, and Rourke, who turns 52 on Tuesday, is getting solid Oscar buzz for it.

Is it really possible that this is the same Mickey Rourke who seductively fed Jell-O, cough syrup and strawberries to Kim Basinger in the 1986 film "9 1/2 Weeks"? By now you've probably heard about Rourke's astonishing physical appearance in Darren Aronofsky's film, but this tale of a grappler who describes himself as a "broken-down piece of meat" has to be seen to be believed. Rourke is spellbinding as Randy (The Ram) Robinson, backed by top-drawer performances from Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood. (Andrea Baillie)