MOVIEThe Fighter
CAST
Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale
RATING
R
RELEASE
December 17, 2010DIRECTOR
David O. Russell
STUDIO(S)
Paramount Pictures,
Relativity Media
RUNNING TIME
1 hour 56 minutes
STARS
***1/2
REVIEW:
Out of the blue, I am all of the sudden allowed to see R rated movies. The first one that I saw won't be coming out until late September, so I won't talk about that yet. However, I can talk about a movie that my parents recently got out of Redbox: 'The Fighter.' 'The Fighter' has been getting all sorts of praise ever since it went to theaters back in December, especially for its supporting cast, including Amy Adams and Christian Bale. I'm glad my parents allowed me to see this movie, because under all of the drugs and foul language there is a cool inspiration story. Markey-Mark isn't a stranger to inspiration stories, having played Vince Papale in the 2006 Disney football film 'Invincible.' It may seem thatr Wahlberg is just playing the Papale role all over again, but he's added real emotion to the character of Ward. It's not because of Wahlberg that this movie succeeds, despite his powerful performance. It's because of the fantastic supporting cast and the emotion of Ward's family life that makes 'The Fighter' quite a great movie. If you haven't seen it yet, by all means go out and rent it or watch it on Netflix Instant when you get the cehance.
The best thing to compliment from this movie is the supporting cast. I am not kidding with you, they are what make the movie. I was skeptic of Melissa Leo winning the supporting actress Oscar this past year, because I found Hailee Steinfeld's performance in 'True Grit' to be spectacular. However then, I had not seen Leo's performance for myself. It turns out that the Academy made the right decision giving the statue to Ms. Leo. As much as I loved Steinfeld's performance, Leo was cruel, evil, potty-mouthed, and single minded. Her performance was absolutely astounding, especially after seeing her acceptance speech, where she seemed to be very happy and excited, especially when she swore on national TV. Her portrayel of Micky's mother shows how far an actor or actress can go to change their persona. However as good as Leo is, Christian Bale is the best thing from this movie.
Christian Bale plays Dicky Eklund, Micky's older, drug addicted half-brother. Bale is a foul-mouthed, sick minded brother who somewhat only cares about how he won a fight between him and Sugar Ray Leonard back in the late 70s. He kind of reminded me of a drug-addicted, foul mouthed version of Uncle Pedro in Napoleon Dynamite. This movie isn't a comedy at all, but the characters are oddly similar because of their obsessions of the past. Plus, seeing him in movies like 'Newsies' and 'The Dark Knight,' Bale gives a breakthrough performance that could be compared to his late co-star Heath Ledger's performance in 'The Dark Knight.' The performances are completely opposite from one another, but the comparison that bonds them together is that both roles are very diverse for the actors, showing how wide actors can go to make a solid performance. Christian Bale IS the best thing about this movie. The rest of the cast, including Mark Wahlberg and Amy Adams were great for the roles they played, but nothing compared to the crazy mother/son duo of Leo and Bale.
Overall, 'The Fighter' is one of the best inspiration films that I've seen in a while. It has sublime acting, pure heart, and a lot of f-bombs. This is the first time in my life where the cursing in this movie actually helps keep the pace going. Without the constant swearing, this movie wouldn't be as powerful as it currently is, plus the movie wouldn't be that good. Sure, the acting and story would still be there, but it wouldn't feel like the story was being told in the correct light. The acting will captivate, and make you believe that Bale and Leo won the supporting role awards earlier this year. The story can be very emotional and heartbreaking, especially Dicky's side story. I can guarantee that you will fall in love with this movie as many others in the world already have. If you have the means, I would totally recommend you seeing 'The Fighter.' For the dreamer and the person down on their luck in all of us, this movie will inspire you to overcome your fears and live your life the way you want to. Don't be afraid to let out the fighter in yourself. Live your life the way you want to, and see this fantastic movie.
The best thing to compliment from this movie is the supporting cast. I am not kidding with you, they are what make the movie. I was skeptic of Melissa Leo winning the supporting actress Oscar this past year, because I found Hailee Steinfeld's performance in 'True Grit' to be spectacular. However then, I had not seen Leo's performance for myself. It turns out that the Academy made the right decision giving the statue to Ms. Leo. As much as I loved Steinfeld's performance, Leo was cruel, evil, potty-mouthed, and single minded. Her performance was absolutely astounding, especially after seeing her acceptance speech, where she seemed to be very happy and excited, especially when she swore on national TV. Her portrayel of Micky's mother shows how far an actor or actress can go to change their persona. However as good as Leo is, Christian Bale is the best thing from this movie.
Christian Bale plays Dicky Eklund, Micky's older, drug addicted half-brother. Bale is a foul-mouthed, sick minded brother who somewhat only cares about how he won a fight between him and Sugar Ray Leonard back in the late 70s. He kind of reminded me of a drug-addicted, foul mouthed version of Uncle Pedro in Napoleon Dynamite. This movie isn't a comedy at all, but the characters are oddly similar because of their obsessions of the past. Plus, seeing him in movies like 'Newsies' and 'The Dark Knight,' Bale gives a breakthrough performance that could be compared to his late co-star Heath Ledger's performance in 'The Dark Knight.' The performances are completely opposite from one another, but the comparison that bonds them together is that both roles are very diverse for the actors, showing how wide actors can go to make a solid performance. Christian Bale IS the best thing about this movie. The rest of the cast, including Mark Wahlberg and Amy Adams were great for the roles they played, but nothing compared to the crazy mother/son duo of Leo and Bale.
Overall, 'The Fighter' is one of the best inspiration films that I've seen in a while. It has sublime acting, pure heart, and a lot of f-bombs. This is the first time in my life where the cursing in this movie actually helps keep the pace going. Without the constant swearing, this movie wouldn't be as powerful as it currently is, plus the movie wouldn't be that good. Sure, the acting and story would still be there, but it wouldn't feel like the story was being told in the correct light. The acting will captivate, and make you believe that Bale and Leo won the supporting role awards earlier this year. The story can be very emotional and heartbreaking, especially Dicky's side story. I can guarantee that you will fall in love with this movie as many others in the world already have. If you have the means, I would totally recommend you seeing 'The Fighter.' For the dreamer and the person down on their luck in all of us, this movie will inspire you to overcome your fears and live your life the way you want to. Don't be afraid to let out the fighter in yourself. Live your life the way you want to, and see this fantastic movie.
