The latest look into how seemingly terrible life in the Boston area is, The Fighter is the true story of boxer Micky Ward, played by Mark Wahlberg and his rise to world champion while dealing with an overly possessive family, drug addicted brother and small town politics. While there is a significant amount of boxing, the film focuses more on the anatomy of the relationships that come to define this athlete’s attempt at following his dream. This all proves to be very frustrating to watch, which is a testament to the script and the actors.
The film’s commitment to authenticity is revealed in the cringe worthy realism through the 90’s clothes and hairstyles, that are just plain embarrassing. But on a more substantial level, Christian Bale’s portrayal of Micky’s older brother, Dickie Eklund is a complete dedication to his role. The audience would have definitely accepted his performance without the extreme weight loss, but Bale has proven throughout his career that he doesn’t fool around with his roles. In fact, it is almost too much.
But when the audience can pry their eyes away from Bales rotten teeth and bald spot, there are some other quality performances. Wahlberg has become one of the strongest lead actors in Hollywood. Following up his comedy hit The Other Guys with this highly methodical biopic; he has proven to have a significant range. While his commitment was less scary looking than Bale’s, it was possible more intense after training for years and become ridiculously jacked.
It’s tough to pinpoint flaws with the movie. If anything, it could be a lull around the middle with frustrating and repetitive fights within the family. The boxing proves to be much more entertaining and helps progress the plot. While the well known actors steal the show, the unknowns’ support is of such quality that it’s like the audience could be watching home movies, very uncomfortable and painful home movies. (9.2 out of 10)
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