Review of The Fighter (2010) by Lisa R — 01 May 2012

This film is all about the performances. If not for the performances it would've just been your stock standard underdog boxing/sport film. Christian Bale is phenomenal as Dicky, just incredible stuff from him winning a very well deserved best supporting actor oscar. I often wonder how they classify a performance as supporting as he is in a very large amount of the film. Melissa Leo and Amy Adams (in a quite different role for her) were both equally as good and showed their versatility.

The film itself almost felt like a documentary, which I really liked. There was a lull in the middle, some poor music choices especially in a montage scene and I struggled to get passed Wahlberg in the central role. It didn't help that he was surrounded by all these incredible character actors creating these totally believable and funny working class bogans and there he was just being his usual character just as a boxer. He just didn't look like he fit in their family.

Those faults aside, I really did enjoy it as you just have to love an underdog and that last scene with Bale as Dicky talking about his brother just killed me.