The Fighter

Last night I saw one of the forerunners of the Golden Globe races, The Fighter. This film is nominated for 6 Golden Globes and is likely to be one of the Oscar nominees as well. The film is based on a true story about a boxer and his family. The boxer, Micky Ward, played by Mark Wahlberg trains with his Brother, Dickey Eklund, played by Christian Bale and managed by his mother. Dickey had been a fighter years before and had built a small amount of fame by once knocking out Sugar Ray. The dysfunction in this family is almost immediately apparent. At the beginning of the film, Micky is in the middle of a losing streak. He must decide if he will be loyal to his family and continue to lose, or take his girlfriend’s advice and accept that they are destructive for him and move on to a different trainer and manager.
As a viewer, I was definitely drawn into this film. Micky is a character you truly feel for and want to succeed. The mother is beyond insane and most definitely provides the comic relief. I find, however, that it is difficult to be completely drawn into a sports movie because there are really only two outcomes: the good guys will win or they will lose and nine times out of ten they win. The story is not the most compelling thing about this film and cinematically it brings nothing new, I mean how many times do I need to see the slow-mo punch? I also feel like there was one fight too many. I was just starting to feel the length when the final fight was about to begin. This is definitely a character and performance driven film. The characters are all ready-made, but it is the way the actors portray them that makes the film note-worthy. Christian Bale steals this film. We again see him losing unhealthy amounts of weight for a roll and his performance is compelling. This is the kind of role that draws attention and he doesn’t shy away from it. He is not afraid to be less than attractive and not exactly likeable. He goes for it and slam-dunks this awkward character. Nearly everyone else in the film has been nominated for their performances and they are well deserved also, but Dickey Eklund makes them fade into the background. The raw realism and attention to detail also set this film apart. The locations and scenarios all feel very true. As a viewer I was never distracted by thoughts like “A person like her would never say something like that.” or “A guy who works on a road crew would never live in a place like that.” One look at the cramped, undecorated apartment Micky lives in tells the viewer that he doesn’t make much money and spends all of his spare time training without it all having to be said.
Entertainment- 6 If you really like boxing movies or really strongly character-driven stories, this is a must, see, otherwise this might not be the Friday-night-movie for you.
Award-worthy- 8 The story and camera work aren’t much to get excited about, but the tone of gritty realism and the intense characters and performances kick this film into a more interesting bracket. Is it the finest example of cinematic perfection I have ever seen? No. Are there aspects worthy of recognition? Most definitely.
Overall I am somewhat apathetic to the film as a whole with the exception of Christian Bale and Melissa Leo’s performances.