'Wrestler' brings Venice fest to its feet

September 05, 2008 VENICE -- "The Wrestler" was the toast of the Lido on the Venice Film Festival's penultimate day, with star Mickey Rourke's interpretation of an aging wrestler struggling to come to terms with the end of his career creating a buzz that had been absent for most of the festival. The competition film, which co-stars Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood, packed three Venice screenings Friday and prompted speculation among festival participants that Rourke could be a candidate for Venice's best actor prize, which will be announced with the other major awards Saturday. [...] the animated aerial combat story "Sukai Kurora" (Sky Crawlers) from Japan's Mamoru Oshii won the digital cinema sidebar sponsored by the Bologna-based Future Film Festival.

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