The Fighter follows a typical underdog storyline, but director David O. Russell made it compelling, real and raw. Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale play half-brothers Micky and Dicky from Lowell, Massachusetts. Dicky was a former fighter who's claim to fame was knocking out "Sugar" Ray Leonard. He has since become addicted to crack and trains Micky, an up-and-coming fighter. The always impressive Melissa Leo plays Alice, the mother and manager of Micky, while Amy Adams shakes up the family as Micky's girlfriend, Charlene.
The handheld shots give it a documentary vibe, but more than that it really just makes you feel like you are actually there. Instead of edits and cutaways, the camera moves back and forth between characters so you really get a sense of the moment. There are several close-up shots that give a very emotional connection to the characters.
Every character is complex and in most cases, not shown in their best light. Each character is portrayed as a real person; their dialogue is more about how they say something rather that what they are saying. There are no good guys and bad guys but instead shades of grey.
Mark Wahlberg was Mark Wahlberg. He didn't show us anything we haven't seen him do before. Christian Bale on the other hand was fantastic. He transformed himself so much that I had to remind myself that he was Batman. His mannerisms, speech and attitude complete his character. When I first saw him cast in this, I wondered why he was playing second fiddle to Mark Walhberg, but now I see that he knew he could really dig deep for this role and he delivered.
Now for the fun. The movie is set in 1993. Without being too blatant, the wardrobe and hairstyles are spot on. Micky and Dicky have eight sisters and they all have the rockin' 90's hair and jean jackets. Alice steals the show with her leopard outfits and white jeans, but Micky runs a close second with oversized geometric-printed button up shirts.
I liked the movie mostly because it didn't turn into a cheesy, feel-good story. Sure it had that aspect at times, but it was more natural and really felt like it actually happened to someone. This is not just a boxing story. This is not just an underdog story. It's a story of a guy trying to balance everyone in his life and still do something for himself.
The handheld shots give it a documentary vibe, but more than that it really just makes you feel like you are actually there. Instead of edits and cutaways, the camera moves back and forth between characters so you really get a sense of the moment. There are several close-up shots that give a very emotional connection to the characters.
Every character is complex and in most cases, not shown in their best light. Each character is portrayed as a real person; their dialogue is more about how they say something rather that what they are saying. There are no good guys and bad guys but instead shades of grey.
Mark Wahlberg was Mark Wahlberg. He didn't show us anything we haven't seen him do before. Christian Bale on the other hand was fantastic. He transformed himself so much that I had to remind myself that he was Batman. His mannerisms, speech and attitude complete his character. When I first saw him cast in this, I wondered why he was playing second fiddle to Mark Walhberg, but now I see that he knew he could really dig deep for this role and he delivered.
Now for the fun. The movie is set in 1993. Without being too blatant, the wardrobe and hairstyles are spot on. Micky and Dicky have eight sisters and they all have the rockin' 90's hair and jean jackets. Alice steals the show with her leopard outfits and white jeans, but Micky runs a close second with oversized geometric-printed button up shirts.
I liked the movie mostly because it didn't turn into a cheesy, feel-good story. Sure it had that aspect at times, but it was more natural and really felt like it actually happened to someone. This is not just a boxing story. This is not just an underdog story. It's a story of a guy trying to balance everyone in his life and still do something for himself.
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