Review of The Fighter (2010) by Noah C — 20 Jun 2014

Many consider the sports genre to be the most conventional and generic, including myself; yet when a capable director is given the ability to transcend their given genre into several sub genres with layers and depth, that is when the sports genre truly soars and can create fantastically memorable films.

One sub-genre of sports that I consider to have the best library of films is boxing, because of not only the brutal intensity of the sport itself, but the lives of the boxers themselves outside of the ring being incredibly interesting.

With Martin Scorsese's, Raging Bull, we saw a man who could not contain his own primal animal persona outside of the ring; and with Clint Eastwood's, Million Dollar Baby, we saw a former boxing coach unable to develop close connections with other people because of his fear of losing them.

Of course there are many more films that I didn't mention like Rocky and Cinderella Man but those two are what I consider to be the most profoundly moving. Six years after Eastwood's film, Director David O.

Russell tried his hand at creating his own unique outing in the boxing genre with, The Fighter. Yes, a somewhat generic title yet when examined with more scrutiny the title perfectly encapsulates what the main character, Mickey Ward, must do not only inside the ring but outside of the ring; to endure through his family's insanity and help his older brother Dickey, who is a crack addict.

Mark Wahlberg, who plays Mickey Ward, fought for years to get this film made so he could tell this story and it shows for Wahlberg is on the top of his game in this film, nailing Ward's mannerisms perfectly and gaining-losing weight accordingly, matching Wards current emotional state.

While Wahlberg's commitment to his role is prevalent, it is Christian Bale who plays Dickey Ward, who truly gives it his all both physically and mentally; earing an academy award for best supporting actor in the process for his incredible commitment to the role.

Bale dropped a considerable amount of weight and had certain intensity in his face because of the crack, which never assuages. I believed this man was a lunatic, which is the highest compliment I could give to Bale for he was just spectacular in this role.

Actresses Melisa Leo and Amy Adams were also great as well as convincing as both Wards mother and girlfriend respectively. Unsurprisingly one of the best aspects of the film is the direction of magnificently talented David O.

Russell. Almost every director has the fights recorded inside the ring; however Russell films all of his fights pay per view style with the resolution dropping and the framing of each shot like a commercial boxing match which was a unique and fresh take on filming a boxing fight.

Stallone similarly did the same style as Russell with his film Rocky Balboa which benefited the realism of that film as well. Even outside of the ring Russell manages to have has blocking and lighting not only perfectly represent Boston but also his characters; overall, stellar directing from David O.

Russell. My only issue with the film is the somewhat slow pacing of the 2nd act which brought down my enjoyment a bit. Overall, not only is The Fighter a great boxing film but it is also just a great film in general that despite its conventional and predictable ending transcends its genre by adding real depth to a somewhat typical story, which is what great film making is all about.