The Fighter

A special thanks to Dean-O for giving me a day off.

I’ve always been a fan of boxing, so I’ve always been a sucker for a boxing movie. There have been some great ones (Raging Bull, Million Dollar Baby, almost anything starting with the word “Rocky”) and some not so great ones (The Great White Hype, Undisputed, Rocky V). When I heard that The Fighter – a movie based on the true story “Irish” Micky Ward - was going to star Mark Wahlberg and that he was pushing for half a decade to get the movie made, I had some pretty high hopes that they would do this right. I can honestly say that my expectations were exceeded. After reflecting on it, I think the main reason this movie was so good is that it’s really a movie about family. Boxing is the vehicle that brings this family together…tears it apart…and brings it back together again. Wahlberg gets a chance to go back to his Boston roots in his portrayal of Micky Ward, and the role is a great fit for him. The absolutely most shocking, amazing, and award-worthy performance in the film belongs to Christian Bale. Bale plays Micky’s older half brother, Dicky Eklund. Dicky’s real life claim to fame is that he knocked down the then insurmountable Sugar Ray Leonard during his boxing career. Although he lost the fight, he became known as “The Pride of Lowell, Mass.” As with many athletes past their prime, he was trapped in the memories of his glory days and lost focus on the world that was progressing all around him. This eventually led to a crack addiction, and Dicky’s battle with this addiction becomes a driving force in all that happens to the Eklund/Ward family. Bale is NOT Batman in this film – he’s gaunt, he’s skittish, and he absolutely nails the Boston accent. There’s a clip during the credits where the real life Micky and Dicky are seen talking on camera. Only then can you truly appreciate just how perfect Bale’s performance was. As I was watching it, part of me always realized “That’s Mark Wahlberg…that’s Amy Adams…”, but there were moments when Bale’s performance was so complete that you almost forget you’re watching one of the biggest stars on the planet. When the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor is handed out, I’ll be shocked if he doesn’t win for this performance. Knowing that this was based on actual events, the interplay between Micky, Dicky and their mom, Alice Ward…there was more than one occasion that I felt genuinely bad for the real Alice Ward. Not because she was a victim, but because the portrayal of how she lead her extended family paints her in a sometimes horrible light. Let’s just say that good choices and clarity of judgment aren’t her strongest traits. All in all, this was a fantastic movie. As independent evidence of this claim, I brought my wife with me to see it. While she was pleased to see that Mr. Wahlberg spent an appropriate amount of time with his shirt off, she was equally as moved by the film as a whole.

No Bad Movies rates The Fighter - Phenomenal
A great review should urge someone to watch a film he/she has not seen or does not want to see. I have not seen The Fighter, but I want to. Dean-O's review does what it is suppose to do, as now I actually want to see it in a more timely manner than before I read this.

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