The Hard Goodbye

I read an article today about someones favorite movie tough guys and got to thinkin about who would make my list. Probably the same guys as you, Willis, Stallone, Schwarzenegger, Staitham, ect... However, anyone can shoot a gun or get into a fight. What makes a tough guy special is his motivation for doing all those things and there was one character in one movie that I kept coming back too. He is the model for tough guys who sometimes have to do very bad things to very bad people for all the right reasons - no matter the personal cost.


Mickey Rourke is epic perfection as Frank Miller's quintessential tough guy, Marv. Many think it was the 'Wrestler' that was Rourke's 'tour de force' but it was this character that brought him back on the radar for me. 'Sin City' was always going to be a tough graphic novel to film. The genius of the movie essentially lies in how director Robert Rodriquez used comic book colors and CGI to match the graphic novel's unique style. It was nothing like we had ever seen before and it pulled you right into the story in the same way that a great graphic novel always does. Without the right person playing Marv though, all the hidden subtext and character study would have been absent. Rourke made Marv into a sympathetic hero while reminding us what a true talent he was/is. His 'dance of death' is amazing to follow. So please enjoy 'The Hard Goodbye'.