John says: The Fighter could have been a masterpiece - a movie dealing with issues ranging from poverty, drug addiction, lost chances, redemption, and family. Instead, we are left with a rather clunky piece of filmmaking with some of the best acting of the entire year.
The story follows Micky Ward, a boxer set on making it big like his older brother, played by Christian Bale. Bale, now addicted to crack, has the support of his mother (Melissa Leo) and sisters, but few others. An HBO camera crew follows the family around claiming to be making a documentary about Ward's comeback. Instead, they are documenting the reality of drug use in America.
Wahlberg's character meets and falls in love with Amy Adams, in one of her most fiery roles, and his opportunity for greatness is divided between taking the support of his family or the support of everyone else.
For whatever reason or another, the film just doesn't flow as a boxing movie in the way that Raging Bull or Million Dollar Baby do. Although the title suggests the story is focused on Micky Ward, the bulk of the plot deals with Christian Bale's character - his determinations and his addictions. By the time the final fight comes, we really don't even care.
In terms of acting, the 3 standout performances come from Christian Bale, Amy Adams, and Melissa Leo. Each performance is flawlessly portrayed and endlessly layered. Expect all three to garner Oscar nominations, and each of them would richly deserve a win. The cast is not without its flaws - unfortunately the one flaw is in the title role played by Mark Wahlberg. Although the character requires little to no character depth or development, Wahlberg still lacks a heart and his performance falls far short of his costars.
Again, we are faced with a year for 10 Best Picture nominees. As much as I would disagree with its nomination, I'm sure it will still receive one simply based on subject matter and critical approval. Although I wouldn't highly recommend this movie, do see it for the stunning acting - easily the best of the year. (From most of the cast, at least...)
Maureen says:
Though certainly not the best picture of the year, notable and watchable if for nothing else, the terrific acting. The screenplay is unfocused and a bit choppy, making the film not quite realize its full potential, but it is entertaining nonetheless.
Mark Wahlberg stars in the title role as Micky Ward, "the fighter," an up-and-coming boxer from Lowell, Massachusetts. Christian Bale plays his older brother Dicky, a washed-up fighter and crack addict, and Melissa Leo is Micky's controlling mother and manager. Amy Adams, in a very new and different role for her, plays Micky's feisty and defensive girlfriend Charlene. Despite playing the title character, Wahlberg's performance is shockingly poor, despite having opportunities to develop emotions such as conflict, despair, embarrassment, and anger. He gives Micky almost no depth or emotion whatsoever, negatively coloring the feel of the entire movie. Thankfully, Bale, Adams, and Leo come to the rescue with outstanding supporting roles, more than making up for Wahlberg's lack of character. Bale is particularly outstanding and gives his best performance to date as the drug-dependent Dicky Ward. He conveys a range of emotions and mannerisms to perfection from beginning to end. One almost begins to wonder if he has a separate life as a crack addict! Nominations and likely wins are in store for Bale this awards season, as are nominations for Adams and Leo.
The actors - particularly Bale - make this film worth watching, which is good, as the script would not stand very well on its own. The potential for the story is there: drug addiction, family conflict, failure, overcoming obstacles... but instead of focusing on one plotline or integrating multiple issues into a single, moving story (i.e. American Beauty), the script seems confused as to which story to focus on. Is this a film about Dicky's drug addiction? Is it about Micky's career? Or is it about family conflict and internal issues within the Ward family in the small town of Lowell? The screenwriters touch on all of these issues, but do not develop any of them to their fullest extent, and instead we are left with a slightly unsatisfying film that tells you a little about a lot.
Aside from the acting, there is not much else of note except for the editing. The boxing scenes, especially, are exciting and well-filmed, and the movie may receive a nomination for this work. In another ten-Best Picture-nomination year, The Fighter will likely be a contender, but almost certainly not for the win.
Overall, I was entertained by The Fighter and would absolutely see it again - which is really the ultimate goal of any film, right? Even though its success is largely because of the superb acting, it still makes for a pretty good watch.
(Awards potential: Best Picture, Best Editing, Best Supporting Actor (Bale), Best Supporting Actress (Adams & Leo)
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