The Fighter

   I’m sick of boxing movies. They tend to be good, but the story is usually the same. Cinderella Man, The Wrestler ( somewhat different), Million Dollar Baby, Rocky, Rocky 2, Rocky Balboa, the list goes on. For instance, I give you Cinderella Man with crack pipes: The Fighter. That being said, this is still a good movie. I enjoyed it and I’ll tell you why, but I don’t want to see another movie about boxing for 20 years. Even Mike Tyson in The Hangover 2 might be pushing it.

   The reason this movie holds up is that it is not actually about boxing at all, it’s about family; what tears it apart and what keeps it together. The movie centers on two brothers Micky and Dickey and their family. Dickey (Christian Bale (Batman)) was a former boxer whose life hit its peak when he knocked down Sugar Ray Lewis who then falls into the wrong crowd and becomes a drug addict addicted to crack cocaine. His younger brother Micky (Mark Wahlberg) looked up to his older brother and wanted to be a boxer just like him. Micky is the better boxer, and his family of mother, father, and a ton of sisters rely on him to bring in money with his fights. The main themes of family and representing your town surface throughout the movie. The small-town pride is a big part of the lives of the people in it, and to have a boxer represent them nationally is a big deal.

   Bale gives an amazing performance in which he completely alters the way that he looks and moves. He is believable as Dickey the former boxer and current drug addict, and blends his performance to show Dickey’s intelligence and charm. Everyone wants Dickey to succeed and get out of his habit, even Dickey, but the film demonstrates just how powerfully effective at ruining lives crack can be.

   Amy Adams does a great job as Micky’s girlfriend, she is college-educated and clashes with the values of Micky’s family. Melissa Leo as Micky’s mother and Adams’s characters are in a constant struggle throughout the film as evidenced by Adams’ “I’ll see you in Micky’s corner but other than that go fuck yourself.” The characters do a great job of demonstrating the different paths Micky can take.

   And this leaves us with Micky himself. Micky gets pushed around by his family, and pushed around between the ropes when he is boxing. But in both cases he is able to take the punches and sweat it out until he finds a way to win. Wahlberg does a decent job, but whenever he is on screen, I was drawn to the other characters, who seem more interesting and more fun to watch.

   The film is uplifting and a testament to human willpower, but it is hard to really get into a film when the protagonist is the least interesting character. However, the rest of the performances are amazing and kept me engaged. My guess is Bale gets his Oscar for best supporting actor, and Leo and Adams get at least nominated again.

Final Verdict: 7