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Is it possible to have a comeback movie when you’ve never really disappeared?  We’ll find out the answer to that question when Darren Aronoksy’s flick The Wrestler starring actor Mickey Rourke hits theaters.  You’ve heard the buzz, Mickey Rourke’s performance is Oscar worthy.

Official Plot Synopsis: Back in the late ’80s, Randy “The Ram” Robinson (Mickey Rourke) was a headlining professional wrestler. Now, twenty years later, he ekes out a living performing for handfuls of diehard wrestling fans in high school gyms and community centers around New Jersey. Estranged from his daughter (Evan Rachel Wood) and unable to sustain any real relationships, Randy lives for the thrill of the show and the adoration of his fans. However, a heart attack forces him into retirement. As his sense of identity starts to slip away, he begins to evaluate the state of his life — trying to reconnect with his daughter, and striking up a blossoming romance with an exotic dancer (Marisa Tomei) who is ready to start a new life. Yet all this cannot compare to the allure of the ring and passion for his art, which threatens to pull Randy “The Ram” back into his world of wrestling. Director Darren Aronofsky presents a powerful portrait of a battered dreamer, who despite himself and the odds stacked against him, lives to be a hero once again in the only place he considers home – inside the ring. THE WRESTLER had its North American premiere at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival and won the Golden Lion at the 2008 Venice Film Festival.

Watch the trailer in High Definition on Apple. The Wrestler hits theaters beginning on December 17th 2008.

Just the other day I was wondering why hasn’t there been a trailer for Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire.  The reason is because there is one now, but also because Fox Searchlight is using their highly mastered rolling platform release for this movie.

It’s a strategy that has worked in the past for films like Juno and Little Miss Sunshine.

Dakota Fanning, we were positive, was about two-years away from going all Drew Barrymore on us and ending up passed out in a gutter from a three day coke binge. But that was like five-years ago when the preternatural actress first began to annoy us in movies. Since then, we’ve given up on our animosity towards her (there’s always Abigail Breslin!) and have begun to appreciate her considerable acting talents for what they are.

Fanning stars in the adaptation of Sue Monk Kidd’s 2002 bestseller The Secret Life of Bees. The story follows an orphaned southern girl, Lily Owens, played by Fanning and her black caregiver (Jennifer Hudson) as they end up on a successful beekeeping farm owned by the Boatwrights, who happen to be three eccentric sisters with ties to Lily’s mother (Queen Latifah, Alicia Keys and Sophie Okonedo). While the secret to Lily’s past and her mother’s death lie right under her nose the drama unfolds as the friction between the whites in the community and the Boatwrights increase.

Sentimentalism and cultural understanding no doubt ensue. We’re suckers for these types of stories, however, and the book is supposed to be outstanding. Mom Oyster, herself an astute judge of cultural works of great significance, is quite fond of this Southern Gothic novel and recommends it highly.

The Secret Life of Bees hits theaters on Oct. 17.

M4a: Fruit Bats - “Legs of Bees”