The Fighter (15) reviewed (From Your Local Guardian)

The Fighter (15) reviewed

9:23am Friday 28th January 2011

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For a sport that often takes a pounding from various associations trying to get it banned, boxing has always been extremely popular on the big screen, writes Mark Foker.

Yet the storylines always seem to merge into one - the struggle of the protagonist (usually a blue collar worker) who never gets the breaks but has a big heart.

But as any actor knows, choosing the right boxing movie, say Rocky, Cinderella Man, The Hurricane or Raging Bull to name but a few can guarantee awards a plenty.

The Fighter is no exception. The film tells the true story of Irish Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg) a light welterweight in the mid 1980’s who was torn between taking the opportunity to have a professionally managed career and staying loyal to a family who have held him back. He is guided by his Mother Alice (Melissa Leo, Golden Globe winner) who is also his manager and trained by his half brother and ex-boxer Dicky Eklund (Christian Bale) who Micky has looked up to all his life. Mickey also has to contend with and a gaggle of ugly sisters who look as though they are auditioning for the witches in Macbeth.

When we first see Micky and Dicky they are pounding the streets of small town Lowell followed by an HBO film crew. Dicky plays up to the camera convinced that they are making a documentary about his big boxing comeback. He has been dining out for years with his claim to fame that he once knocked down Sugar Ray Leonard (or did he trip?). The truth is that Dicky is a crack addict and the documentary is hard hitting portrayal of the dangers of hard drugs. Although his intentions are good towards his younger brother his addiction lets him down. He turns up late to training sessions and pitches Micky against fighters who are way above his fighting weight with no chance of winning.

Micky’s escape comes in the form of the local barmaid Charlene (Amy Adams who was my Oscar tip) who dares to take on the whole family including fisty cuffs with the over protective sisters. Amy Adams puts on a superb performance which couldn’t be further away from the naive Giselle character she played in Enchanted.

I must admit that my first reaction to Christian Bale was one of annoyance with his over the top method acting; he looks very gaunt and apparently lost 30 pounds for the role. But as the film gathers pace his character grows on you in a sympathetic way and you start to appreciate what a great actor Bale is. Unfortunately he completely upstages Mark Wahlberg’s underplayed hero.

The boxing scenes are well choreographed and you wince at every blow that’s thrown at Micky. Then that old blood lust kicks in and you find yourself carried away with the action and willing Micky to beat the hell out of his opponent. I came into the film thinking I had seen it all before but left impressed with some top notch acting.

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