The Fighter Review

“The Fighter”
Theatrical Release Date: December 17, 2010
Directed by: David O. Russell
Screenplay by: Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy, and Eric Johnson
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: March 15, 2011
Review by: Sean Kayden

Without hesitation, “The Fighter” is the most outstanding boxing movie since “Rocky”. In many ways, it even triumphs over the timeless classic. “The Fighter” stars Mark Wahlberg as Micky Ward, a down on his luck boxer from working-class town Lowell, Massachusetts. He is all heart, but unfortunately isn’t living up to his complete potential. His half-brother, Dicky Eklund, played meticulously by Christian Bale is Micky’s trainer. While Dicky was a prominent fighter in his own day (proclaiming throughout the movie that he knocked down Sugar Ray Leonard), he took a turn for the worse by quickly falling into the drudgery of hard drugs that ultimately wasted any chance of a promising career. The astonishing Melissa Leo plays Alice Ward, Mickey’s controlling mother and manager. She may be difficult and a true pain to deal with at times, however in the end, she does have the best intentions for her son. Lastly, there is Charlene Fleming, characterized by the beautiful and ultra talented Amy Adams as Micky’s love interest and muse. She’s one tough chick that packs her own one-two punch. Adams is intoxicating to watch in a role she’s really never tackled before. Toward the third act, “The Fighter” does drift into familiar inspirational movie territory. However, it really doesn’t matter because by the end, you’re rooting and cheering for not only Micky, but also the entire family. “The Fighter” is less about boxing and more about a struggling family trying to stick together and make something truly special happen. To say the absolute least, the acting performances by the entire ensemble are the year’s unequivocal best. It’s the small and intimate moments in “The Fighter” that truly make it an undisputed winner.

Mark Wahlberg had been physically training for the movie for over four years. It had been an uphill battle to get this story on to the big screen, but fortunately, director David O. Russell, best known for his superb satirical Persian Gulf War movie, “Three Kings”, took the reins (after the departure of Darren Aronofsky) and guided Wahlberg and company in the making of this film. This is Wahlberg and Russell’s third collaboration together. Arguably, Wahlberg’s best work has come from under Russell’s direction. In this particular case, it’s no different. Wahlberg throws it all out on the table and convinces the audience that he does possess some acting prowess despite a string of less-than-average films over the past few years. After both Brad Pitt and Matt Damon dropped out due to scheduling conflicts, Christian Bale entered the scene to play Dicky Eklund. Allow me to say, Bale IS Eklund. Bottom line, Bale seeps into the role perfectly and effortlessly and produces his best acting performance to date (recently awarded his first Academy Award for the role). There is a perfect rhythm to his portrayal of Eklund. Bale does such an incredible job mastering and mimicking all of Eklund’s mannerisms, nuances, and quirks. The movie is terrific, but it’s Bale’s presentation that is stellar, poignant, heart wrenching and utterly spectacular. This is what Oscar performances are made of.

Filmed in 33 days for less than $20 million and shot on location, the movie accurately depicts the working-class life of Lowell. Additionally, David O. Russell does an exceptional job in keeping a raw, yet authentic appearance within all of his scenes. It truly creates a definite mood and distinctive setting for the viewer to feel as if they’re right at home with the actors. For a movie about the relationship of two brothers and the core of the story being more directed toward family life than boxing, one could easily write off the movie as another tired cliché, underdog sports drama. However, be it as it may, “The Fighter” throws you punch after punch that you never see coming. It’s an original piece of storytelling that will bring you sadness and heartache, but also provide you with laughter, happiness, motivation and most of all, inspiration. In the end, “The Fighter” is a brilliantly beautiful and rare movie with a plethora of powerhouse performances that will have you both smiling and possibly shedding a tear or two. Now when’s the last time you felt that way watching a film? Do yourself a favor and go watch (or preferably purchase on DVD or Blu-ray) the best movie of 2010!

Grade: 5 out of 5

Published on March 12, 2011 by Mountain Views News.
http://mtnviewsnews.com/v05/htm/n11/p11.htm