I don't like boxing at all, but I have seen a few movies dealing with boxing. I have been interested in seeing The Fighter since I first saw the previews.
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The Fighter
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›The Fighter (film): Wahlberg is kind of a DiCaprio isn't he?@gooddream2712d
This film actually won a ton of awards including top awards for Best supporting actor (Christian Bale) and Best supporting actress (Melissa Leo.) Mark Wahlberg, unsurprisingly, doesn't get so much as a "good job" from the awards community and it just kind of reminded me of that year where Titanic was winning everything except Best Actor, because Leo wasn't nominated for any of them.
on to The Fighter
[sournce](https://cache.desktopnexus.com/thumbseg/536/536513-bigthumbnail.jpg) This is the true story of the boxing career of Mickey Ward (Wahlberg) and the troubled career of his half-brother Dicky Eklund (Bale)who is one of his trainers. Dicky was a higher-tier boxer as well, but never achieved much in the way of fame because he was seen as a "stepping stone" opponent that was good enough to be challenging, but not good enough to be champ.
[source](https://www.moviesteve.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/the-fighter-mark-wahlberg-christian-bale.jpg)The Role of Dicky is played phenomenally well by Christian, who just seems to be a master of accents as he absolutely nails the Boston accent despite being British. He also transformed his body again and his ability to put on (and then lose) muscle is awe-inspiring. He won the Best Supporting Actor award for his role in this move and he truly deserved it. I don't want to reveal too much about the plot but let's just say it is all about boxing, family, drugs, and money.
[source](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2010/12/10/arts/10FIGHTER-1/SUB-FIGHTER-jumbo.jpg) Wahlberg is actually the "star" of the movie as far as who is on screen the most, but it is quite easy to see that Mark is a little bit out of his league with the likes of Bale and the women who play Mark's sisters. It just kind of seems Wahlberg is in the wrong film. This is not to say that he does poorly in his portrayal as Mickey - he does just fine he just seems out of place.
Wahlberg was a producer on this film which for me begs the question: "Did Wahlberg set this all up in an attempt to get taken more seriously as an actor?" It doesn't matter to me if he did because this movie is great.
I don't think I am being unfair just because I tend to enjoy boxing films by giving this one high marks. Even though it is a bit artsy they seem to do this just enough to be considered by the academy. The rest of the time the action moves quickly and the story is done so well that it will bring a full range of emotions in the viewer. This movie is both inspiring and depressing at the same time and the fact that it is a true story, makes that even better.
Grade = "Wowsers!"
›"The Fighter"by David O. Russell - movie review@godflesh2947d
Boxing movies are like the Holocaust. In the first moment, you say about it "Oh,not again!"What else can be said, which is not said before? Are not they tired of doing the same movie over and over again? In the end, we will hardly see a new "Rocky" or "Raging Bull", right? Well, for obvious reasons we will not see, but we can see something almost as valuable, sharing similarities in its general themes, but different in its specificity. "The Fighter" is the true story of boxer Mickey for his hard road to becoming a real champion and his intimate relationship with his half-brother Dickey Eklund - a once-promising young hope who has failed his chances of success by engaging in drugs - which is the basis of all Mickey's downs and ups. "The Fighter" is also a film about the incredibly complex relationships and dynamics in a non-standard but still quite ordinary family. Relationships deeply entwined and intertwined with the fate of Mickey, one of the factors that distinguish the film from other similar titles.
The main merit of making these relationships work (and hence the whole movie) is the extraordinary actors - for me here is the most powerful ensemble performance for the 2010, but that's a little later - and of course the director David O Russell. Given the film's theme, hardly anyone can be dramatically surprised and that's why much of the cargo falls on Russell. And directing is definitely one of the strongest aspects of the film. The film, but not as a guiding of the actors, but the building of the whole identity of the film. Almost documentary styling (camera movement, frame structure) creates a feeling of almost intimate proximity to the characters, allowing us to deeper into their motivation and essence, rhythm, atmosphere, sense of the spirit of the timeless mysterious Lowell, Massachusetts (if we did not know which year the action unfolded, I could not personally determine it) - all this is a consequence of the way Russell is doing the story. Here we should also note Russell's approach to boxing meetings, which seem to be the epitome of the overall idea of this almost documentary style. The battles are devoid of romanticism, they do not have a complicated choreography and create a sense of realism. This has also been achieved by the way they are shot - an HBO team that deals exclusively with the coverage of boxing shows on TV, have their cameras just as they would at a real meeting. As I have already mentioned, actors are the other trump of the film. We all know how badly you can be Mark Wahlberg, but, thank God, there is no sign of his stupid laughs. He makes a solid and credible role - it's great. But the real stars are Christian Bale, Melissa Leo and Amy Adams, who are making phenomenal performances.
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Bale achieves what little actors can boast lately - he completely disappears into the role. He stops being Christian Bale (no matter how good you think he is in Batman and Terminator, he has a lot of, let's say it honestly, his arrogant identity), and he's completely transformed into Dickey Eckland. If you've been wondering why there's always such noise around it, this movie will give you the answer. Melissa Leo, as the Mickey and Dickie's mother, acting as a manager, and directly provides her place in the pantheon of most of the movie moms. Amy Adams as Charlie, Mickey's girlfriend and the foundation on which he builds his triumph, shows a middle finger to everyone who has categorized her as a quiver that is nothing but romantic comedies. Finally we all know what's going on. Ultimately, the triumph of the ordinary, honest and hardworking man is an integral part of these stories, and it is he who makes them so popular. I must say that here, too, the final is not an exception, but for me personally, it did not have a clearing effect, like other films. Rather, he left the feeling that I had removed a huge load from his shoulders. Something like the satisfaction of doing a good job - a feeling no less pleasant and with no less emotional power and charge. Undoubtedly a film that deserves its place among the best works for the 2010 - real and sincere - and only a slight limitation on its subject will not allow it to be among the great awards.
›The Fighter (2010) - Movie Review@coldsteem3093d
The Fighter was a heavily hyped film when it was first released. I first heard about the film in a Sports Illustrated article that initially piqued my interest. However, the film only lasted a couple of weeks at my local theater and was gone before I had a chance to see it. When I saw the number of Oscar nominations this film received, I was disappointed I missed it. Luckily, The Fighter had an encore showing at a smaller theater nearby and I was able to finally see it on the big screen.
The Fighter recounts the true story of half-brothers Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg) and Dicky Eklund (Christian Bale). Dicky is a former Welterweight boxer whose highlight fight was a decision loss to the famous Sugar Ray Leonard. Dicky has focused his attention on training Micky and smoking crack. His crack addiction has prompted HBO to follow him for eighteen months, documenting his addiction for a segment of America Undercover. Micky's fights seem to be on the same downward spiral as Dicky's addiction.
When Dicky is arrested and sentenced to prison, Micky takes on a new trainer and manager. His former manager is his mother, Alice (Melissa Leo). She does not take the news well. The family (which includes eight brothers and sisters) have been a part of Micky's training for years. The family try to take out their frustration on Micky's new girlfriend, Charlene (Amy Adams), but Micky finally digs in. With a new sparring partner and good management, Micky finally finds a path to the Championship. But not without some sage advice from his brother, who finally follows him to the top.
The fact that The Fighter is based on a true story gives it more traction. Micky is an unlikely champion for a number of reasons, but the most visible reason seems to be the cocoon of family that has trapped him. The story captures the dysfunction without turning the situation into a cartoon. The writing gave the characters an effective dynamic that gives the story credibility. The story does not completely track the real events, but hits all the major points with accuracy. It is a compelling underdog story that doesn't, well...pull any punches. The addiction and dysfunction are on full display.
There were some inconsistencies in the film that nagged at me a little bit, when maybe they shouldn't have. The Fighter takes great pains to recreate the 1980s, almost mocking the clothing, hairstyles and even the cars (like a red Chevy Cavalier). Even the soundtrack remained true to the period. With such attention to detail, I was surprised at minor issues that should not have been missed. Most of it had to do with boxing injuries, the most notable of which happened in the fight that earns Micky his title shot. After receiving numerous blows to the right side of his face during the fight, the right side of his face is bleeding. After the fight, the left side of his face is taped up and the right side completely unharmed. Little details like this just felt sloppy.
This was one of the best cast films I have seen in a while. I have seen some great films with awesome actors, but this film goes deep with strong performances. Enough that the acting earned several Oscar nominations that were well deserved. While Melissa Leo won (and probably deserved) best supporting actress for her role as Micky's mother, Christian Bale's performance stood out even more. Watching the actual characters (Micky and Dicky) at the end of the film, I was amazed out how well Bale captured the frenzied wild-eyed energy that Dicky has. His transformation to crack addict also featured incredible weight loss (but not quite as extreme as The Machinist, which was insane). I am a fan of Amy Adams and was impressed with her performance as well. Mark Wahlberg was convincing as a Welterweight boxer and looked well trained for the role. I also want to mention Jack McGee, who played George Ward. He was a stable character that helped hold the story together, even though he was not as in-your-face as the other characters. The role was well acted by McGee. <
The Fighter is rated R. A film about boxing is likely to get that type of rating. The matches are violent. The sub-plot regarding Dicky's crack addiction really gets into content issues, with depictions of drug use and prostitution. Those scenes might have been more a factor in the rating than the boxing violence. The love story between Micky and Charlene also features some sexual situations and revealing clothing, but remained rather tame to me. The language in this film is also raw, adding realism. While some material is questionable, it is all contextual. Teenagers should be able to handle anything this film has to offer.
I am glad I had the opportunity to see The Fighter on the big screen. I also believe it translates well to the small screen. Streaming doesn't lose much from the original. Between stellar performances and a compelling story, this film was worth full-price to see it at the theater. The accolades it has received were earned. The film was executed nicely, but it bothered me that some attention to detail was overlooked when so much effort was spent creating the right atmosphere for this film. The Fighter is definitely worth streaming if you can find it. 8/10.