The Fighter
I went into this both wanting... and not wanting.. to see the movie. I wanted to see it because a lot of people thought it was excellent. People whose opinions I usually agree with. And, of course, it's a best picture Oscar nominee, and I try to see all the nominees before the ceremony. So I kind of HAD to see it. But, I also was reluctant because here we have another boxing movie... I mean, another boxing/underdog movie. We've been here before, right? Was this going to be a cheap knockoff of Rocky? Or perhaps a number of other sports-themed movies where the main character was too small/too old/too finished to triumph in his one last shot? Or was it going to succumb to a number of other cliches... perhaps it would be a cliche smorgasbord: a little of this, a little of that and in the end? A trite, overwrought, sloppy mess of a movie. And yet, so many people thought it was at least pretty good...
So, cliches... well here's a couple to choose from. Two set ups: today is my birthday- that's set up number one. Also, I have been meaning to see The Fighter for forever. Every time I made a plan to see it, something would come up and, well, The Fighter would have to wait... or rather, I would have to wait to see The Fighter. So, yes, cliches... here we go, have your pick: Happy birthday to me! Or. Good things come to those who wait! Your choice.
The Fighter was fantastic. I know we've seen this story before. It did rumble across a number of sports-movie cliches. But- it did so in a manner that didn't seem cliche. And I think David O. Russell managed to get this done by focusing less on the story than the characters bringing the story to life. This isn't just about a guy trying to make it in the boxing world despite the fact that he isn't getting any younger... very quickly. This is about the people not the journey. People facing their dreams and their demons. People triumphing over everyday life. This is good stuff. And complicated. It's more than he came, he saw, he struggled, he either conquered/fell short but oh so valiantly. We get a sense of who these people are swirling around Micky Ward. And we get a sense of who Micky Ward himself is. It's more a study of what makes these cats tick. And it's damn intriguing to get a window into that. And- so much as this is a story/study of characters- this is less the Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg who really was good, but honestly the weakest link in the cast) show than the Dicky Eklund (Christian Bale) show. Or perhaps, it was the Micky and Dicky show. One can't be mentioned without the other- and that's really one of the main sticking points in the story.
The only problem is, in the movie (much as in Micky real life... at least the coming of age part) Dicky steals the movie. And this is, of course, due to Christian Bale. Bale may well be among the biggest dicks out there. I really don't care. He is an absolute master at the art of acting. No one may be better, and Bale is at his best here. He plays Dicky as a never-ending ball of twitchy energy. A blue collar, silver-tongued smoothie. You can't help but like the guy even though he's a disaster of a human being... that is, until he crosses the line one time too many. Bale, as he so often does with his characters, vanishes and Dicky Eklund is all that is left on screen. It's utterly mesmerizing. And it's his energy, his spirit, and his part of the tale that really drive the movie. In my mind, the movie avoids the cliche graveyard, largely because of Bale... well Bale and Melissa Leo as Dicky and Micky's (half-brothers) mother, Alice. She's the only other one in a cast giving great performances who comes anywhere close to Bale's work. And it's a disgusting part to play. An overbearing mother living in the faded glory of her dried up son's former life... and trying so hard to rekindle the old spark through her younger son. But not for his benefit. For hers... and Dicky's? And Leo doesn't leave much to doubt: this woman is horrible. Exceptional work. Leo and Bale shine so bright, it makes the rest of the cast look a little dimmer.
Don't get me wrong, the rest of the cast turns in excellent performances as well. I can't imagine anyone being able to pull off Micky Ward as well as Wahlberg. And Amy Adams gives shows a welcome gritty side as Ward's tough as shit girlfriend Charlene. Jack McGee as Micky's dad and Mickey O'Keefe (who plays himself, one of Micky Ward's trainers) only add to the quality of the movie. And of course the cadre of unknowns (including Conan O'Brien's sister, Kate) playing Dicky and Micky's sisters are a hoot. But really this movie rides to a great degree on the performances of Leo and Bale... oh, and a pretty good story told in a great way (excellent work by Russell- boxing on the big screen has never looked better).
So again it's back to that story. To just describe it in the easiest way would indeed make it sound so much like your typical underdog story... so yeah again... cliche. So hardly worth seeing. But there again is more complexity to the story. Micky has a lot to triumph over, but there's a lot as well that HE doesn't need to triumph over. I think that's one of the things I liked most about the movie. You can clearly see that his half-brother and mother are sinking him. In a traditional sense he would need to cut them out to become who he wants to be...who the story needs him to be. But he doesn't WANT to cut them out, and in many ways he needs them- despite their flaws. But he needs them to be open about themselves and who they are. So the story boils down to a match of wills- Micky trying to create a new future (they can all- I suppose revel in as well) versus Alice and Dicky holding on so tight to heroic glory of the past that they can't really see how inglorious it truly was.. and is.
So then of course, the story does build to it's inevitable end: Micky has a shot at greatness. At this point it seems as though the movie can go one of tow directions (and I realize I'm going to do it no favors describing it as such) towards Rocky-ville or towards Major League-shire. Is getting the shot and go toe to toe against the champ his victory. Or does he, against all odds, win it all. See, one of the things that I think worked to my benefit in seeing the movie is that I didn't know the real story of Micky Ward (yes, this is based on a true story- and, in fact, you get to see the real Micky and Dicky in the end credits). That helped really bring out the drama in the outstanding fights sequences. So I'm not going to say more than this: the movie ends up somewhere in between the two. And that's a damn good place for it to be.
Grade: A+
(hmmm... this is my third A+.. maybe I'm being too lenient. Screw it... I loved this movie).
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