Review of Cinderella Man (2005) by Chris W — 24 Sep 2010

I really liked this movie, and I want to give it a higher grade, but it doesn't quite deserve it. That's unfortunate too, The only things wrong with it (which keep it from being better) are that it's a bit too long, and a tad too draggy here and there.

Other than that, this is a well-made, inspiring story of perseverence, hope, and doing what one can to get through hard times. Calling this a Great Depression-era Rocky is not wrong, but it cheapens things. YEs, the general plot is nothing new, but what sets this film apart is that it's a biopic. Not only that, it's rooted in history, and is actually quite accurate in it's portrayal of the times.

This is a gorgeous looking film, and the set design, costumes, and art direction are amazing. They really nailed the look and feel of the time period. The camera work and editing are decent, but as far as boxing films go, Raging Bull is still the best in these two departments.

I've noticed that Howard has made several period pieces throughout his career. He's pretty good at them, He's also good at rawing on people's emotions to tell a good story. The acting is probably (next to bringing the period to life) the best thing going on here. Crowe once again delivers an excellent and believable performance. Zelwegger is pretty decent despite the type of character she's playing (which kind of limits things). She is good though, and she also does frumpy and mousy quite well, Giamatti is damn amazing. He got snubbed for Sideways, and this film looked like he'd get an awartd to make up for that, but he got snubbed here, too. That's unfortunate, because he's one of the best and most consistent actors working these days- I love him.

THis is some good stuff. LIke I said at the beginning, this film should be great, but slightly falters and ends up being mere really good. It's still definitely worth seeing though. Very high B+.