Sports movies, in general, have clichéd storylines: the star fights adversity on his way to becoming a champion. The climax is always a very important match which could go one of two ways: the main character wins or he doesn’t. The Fighter is no different, in this regard, but it does offer some interesting substance along the way.
The Fighter tells the story of real-life boxer “Irish” Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg), and his attempt to make a name for himself by climbing out from behind the shadow of his half-brother and trainer, former pro (Dick “Dicky” EklundChrisitan Bale), who became the pride of Lowell, Mass (where the movie takes place) after going the distance with Sugar Ray Leonard. Since that bout, Dicky has fallen into a life of crack addiction and crime; merely a caricature of his former self. His character isn’t meant to be the main focus, but his is possibly the more interesting story of the film. Without him, Micky’s story may not be worth the paper it‘s written on.
A great acting performance is one where you forget about the actor and focus entirely on the character. Christian Bale has delivered such a performance and steals the show. Bale’s mannerisms, speech and appearance render him nearly unrecognizable, and you feel like you’re watching the real Dick Eklund - whether you know of him or not. The performance is equally comedic and heartbreaking as his drug addiction tears his life apart. Dicky is a larger than life character; one who struggles to support his family while attempting to put his life back in order. The best way to do that is to help his brother win the title.
Mark Wahlberg delivers a fine performance, considering what he has to work with. Micky Ward doesn’t say much and is often so overshadowed by the antics of his family (including his mother and 7 vengeful, catty sisters) it doesn’t really feel like there’s much connection with him. In the end, it’s almost as if you’re rooting for him because it’ll mean his brother gets a chance at redemption more than you’re rooting for him to win for his own reasons. Amy Adams does an excellent job playing against type as Micky’s girlfriend, who supports him and pushes him to be his own man - she holds her own against hiss disapproving family, offering some of the snappiest dialogue of the film in those scenes.
The story is based on true events, so the formulaic nature of the film is certainly excusable. The acting is impeccable and the fight scenes are some of the most realistic I’ve seen in a movie; they were actually filmed by HBO using the same equipment of the era, which adds an extra layer of grainy realism. It may not be the best film of the year (and I mean 2010…this year is too young to say things like that), but it’s certainly a good one; Bale’s performance alone is worth the price of admission.
4 Dented Bumpers*
*Crash’s Film Rating Legend:
5 DB’s -- Freaking Fantastic! (a rating that’s not easily attained.)
4–4.5 DB’s -- Great: It’s worth seeing again/owning.
3–3.5 DB’s -- Decent – Good (I’d watch it again on cable)
2–2.5 DB’s -- Meh; (possibly had potential, but I won’t watch it again)
1DB -- Awful; I want my money back.
Anything less is not even worth downloading illegally
-Crash-
The Fighter tells the story of real-life boxer “Irish” Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg), and his attempt to make a name for himself by climbing out from behind the shadow of his half-brother and trainer, former pro (Dick “Dicky” EklundChrisitan Bale), who became the pride of Lowell, Mass (where the movie takes place) after going the distance with Sugar Ray Leonard. Since that bout, Dicky has fallen into a life of crack addiction and crime; merely a caricature of his former self. His character isn’t meant to be the main focus, but his is possibly the more interesting story of the film. Without him, Micky’s story may not be worth the paper it‘s written on.
A great acting performance is one where you forget about the actor and focus entirely on the character. Christian Bale has delivered such a performance and steals the show. Bale’s mannerisms, speech and appearance render him nearly unrecognizable, and you feel like you’re watching the real Dick Eklund - whether you know of him or not. The performance is equally comedic and heartbreaking as his drug addiction tears his life apart. Dicky is a larger than life character; one who struggles to support his family while attempting to put his life back in order. The best way to do that is to help his brother win the title.
Mark Wahlberg delivers a fine performance, considering what he has to work with. Micky Ward doesn’t say much and is often so overshadowed by the antics of his family (including his mother and 7 vengeful, catty sisters) it doesn’t really feel like there’s much connection with him. In the end, it’s almost as if you’re rooting for him because it’ll mean his brother gets a chance at redemption more than you’re rooting for him to win for his own reasons. Amy Adams does an excellent job playing against type as Micky’s girlfriend, who supports him and pushes him to be his own man - she holds her own against hiss disapproving family, offering some of the snappiest dialogue of the film in those scenes.
The story is based on true events, so the formulaic nature of the film is certainly excusable. The acting is impeccable and the fight scenes are some of the most realistic I’ve seen in a movie; they were actually filmed by HBO using the same equipment of the era, which adds an extra layer of grainy realism. It may not be the best film of the year (and I mean 2010…this year is too young to say things like that), but it’s certainly a good one; Bale’s performance alone is worth the price of admission.
4 Dented Bumpers*
*Crash’s Film Rating Legend:
5 DB’s -- Freaking Fantastic! (a rating that’s not easily attained.)
4–4.5 DB’s -- Great: It’s worth seeing again/owning.
3–3.5 DB’s -- Decent – Good (I’d watch it again on cable)
2–2.5 DB’s -- Meh; (possibly had potential, but I won’t watch it again)
1DB -- Awful; I want my money back.
Anything less is not even worth downloading illegally
-Crash-
No comments:
Post a Comment