It's the story of a real-life boxer whose career was revived in the late '90's, Mickey Ward, in a physically hard-hitting but emotionally subtle take by Mark Wahlberg.
The Fighter
Language: English, Country: USA
Budget: $25,000,000 (estimated)
Opening Weekend: $300,010 (USA), Gross: $93,571,803 (USA) (27 March 2011)
Technical Details
Runtime: 116 min, Sound Mix: DTS |Dolby Digital
Color: Color, Aspect Ratio: 2.35 : 1
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Melissa Leo, Amy Adams
Rating - 4.5/5
Review
The movie comprises the time before that renaissance, as he strains to choose whether or not to keep his family engaged in his career, chiefly his manager mother, played in another of Melissa Leo's powerfully indomitable, matter-of-fact performances, and his fellow boxer and trainer half-brother Dicky, played by a bizarrely compelling Christian Bale, and his astonishingly intolerant, self-absorbed sisters, whose presence gives Mickey that extra boost of respect from us, as it must've been hell's seventh circle growing up in an isolated household with them.
Bale gave one of the great performances in modern film in his role as Dicky Ecklund, former contender for a world boxing title, and brother of "Irish" Micky Ward, the subject of this film's story. Bale was so great and Oscar-worthy in his role it is hard to believe he was not a boxer at some time in his life, as he had all the tricks, moves and brain-damaged mannerisms down solid.
Mark Wahlberg was quiet and competent as Ward, as he typically plays all of his roles, but the real acting kudos go to Bale, Melissa Leo as the mother of Ward and Ecklund, and to Amy Adams as Ward's bartender girlfriend who supported and protected him against the specious love of his mother and brother who took every parasitic advantage of Ward to pursue their own wants at his expense. Coarse and ignorant ethnic mannerisms, speech patterns, and social behavior of that clannish Irish ghetto were so spot-on one could imagine all of the cast living their entire lives before this film in that poor, decrepit and decaying small town .
The story of the rise, fall, and rise again of Ward's boxing career was a good and involving one, made so much better due to the intertwined story of Ecklund's former boxing glory shown in stark contrast to his later life of a crack addicted, criminal loser whose job was to train his brother to be a world boxing champ but most often got derailed by his bad habit and truly pathetic friends.
The harsh but loving family interplay of this big and rowdy group was the best thing in the story, as all the behavioral things that keep poor people down were shown so well here ......irresponsibility, ignorance, temper, addictions, and a skewed view of reality and right and wrong and how to deal with all of it. A real lesson was shown in how to screw up your life,but also shown for balance was how to improve it through hard work and the love and concern of those who truly care. This outrageous family really cared for each other, hard as it was sometimes to believe, and it proved out in the end.
One of the best films of the year 2010 and a true gift from Christian Bale and Wahlberg. My rating for this masterpiece - 9/10 ( a mark extra for Bale's performance)
Language: English, Country: USA
Release Date: 17 December 2010
Box OfficeBudget: $25,000,000 (estimated)
Opening Weekend: $300,010 (USA), Gross: $93,571,803 (USA) (27 March 2011)
Technical Details
Runtime: 116 min, Sound Mix: DTS |Dolby Digital
Color: Color, Aspect Ratio: 2.35 : 1
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Melissa Leo, Amy Adams
Rating - 4.5/5
Review
The movie comprises the time before that renaissance, as he strains to choose whether or not to keep his family engaged in his career, chiefly his manager mother, played in another of Melissa Leo's powerfully indomitable, matter-of-fact performances, and his fellow boxer and trainer half-brother Dicky, played by a bizarrely compelling Christian Bale, and his astonishingly intolerant, self-absorbed sisters, whose presence gives Mickey that extra boost of respect from us, as it must've been hell's seventh circle growing up in an isolated household with them.
Mark Wahlberg was quiet and competent as Ward, as he typically plays all of his roles, but the real acting kudos go to Bale, Melissa Leo as the mother of Ward and Ecklund, and to Amy Adams as Ward's bartender girlfriend who supported and protected him against the specious love of his mother and brother who took every parasitic advantage of Ward to pursue their own wants at his expense. Coarse and ignorant ethnic mannerisms, speech patterns, and social behavior of that clannish Irish ghetto were so spot-on one could imagine all of the cast living their entire lives before this film in that poor, decrepit and decaying small town .
The story of the rise, fall, and rise again of Ward's boxing career was a good and involving one, made so much better due to the intertwined story of Ecklund's former boxing glory shown in stark contrast to his later life of a crack addicted, criminal loser whose job was to train his brother to be a world boxing champ but most often got derailed by his bad habit and truly pathetic friends.
The harsh but loving family interplay of this big and rowdy group was the best thing in the story, as all the behavioral things that keep poor people down were shown so well here ......irresponsibility, ignorance, temper, addictions, and a skewed view of reality and right and wrong and how to deal with all of it. A real lesson was shown in how to screw up your life,but also shown for balance was how to improve it through hard work and the love and concern of those who truly care. This outrageous family really cared for each other, hard as it was sometimes to believe, and it proved out in the end.
One of the best films of the year 2010 and a true gift from Christian Bale and Wahlberg. My rating for this masterpiece - 9/10 ( a mark extra for Bale's performance)
Amazing review,
ReplyDeleteliked the narrative and appreciate the style
+1, +1, +1 BRO