The Fighter

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Tyler

I don't like "sports" movies and out of all the kinds of sports movies the ones I like least are "boxing" movies. I just can't get into it the way I can't get into gangster films, not my thing. But I still watch them because there's always the exceptions.

This film isn't quite an exception, it didn't blow me away. It's far to understated to do that. It's an interesting little drama that just happens to be centred around a boxer. Two warring factions, Micky's family and his friends/girlfriend fight over how he should be managed and he is caught in the middle of it all, torn between his loyalties to both parties.

Mark Wahlberg does a tremendous job of being the straight man at the centre of this shit storm. He has few lines and no big showy oscar scenes which makes him easy to overlook, but he is the heart of the film and holds the whole thing together. It probably doesn't help that he's surrounded by Christian Bale and Melissa Leo playing the more flashy character parts of the junkie brother and trashy mother both of whom have so far been awarded golden globes for their substantial efforts.

The mother and the posse of sisters have some great lighter moments. If it wasn't true you probably wouldn't believe it, but this bleach-haired army does exist. It's a scary thought. They are a hoot to watch though. Amy Adams as the girlfriend does her role dutifully and has some nice moments later in the film where you see she can be just as much of a bitch as the rest of the family which helps a great deal to avoid being a one-note love interest. Christian Bale has the most to do here. He is great as always and has a repeated defenistration gag that I loved.

David O. Russell seems to be taking a page from Aronofsky's book (originally he was going to direct, he's now and executive producer) and going for the more grungy doco feel rather than the more polished he's done in the past. The fight scenes are all shot and edited like an HBO live TV broadcast before jumping back into film for the drama segments. I guess for people who watch boxing regularly that would seem much more realistic, to me it was just an interesting device.

Thank God he put in some very clear methods and terminology of boxing, set up early that he can then use to set up problems and build tension in the fighting scenes for laymen like me who would have otherwise had no idea what was going on. It works very well especially in the final fight which is tense and involving.

It's probably not a film I would revisit again because the subject just doesn't interest me but the performances are great, the film works and could well be a new favourite for fans of the genre.