The Fighter review

Say what you will about Mark Wahlberg, but the determination he displayed with getting The Fighter made was very impressive. Wahlberg's been wanting to do the story about Micky Ward for years and, you know, even though Mark Wahlberg's performance isn't particularly impressive or original, you get the feeling that he was born to play a boxer in a movie. Something about him in a boxing movie just seems like a perfect match. Wahlberg also had the foresight to realize that he wouldn't be able to pull off as solid of a performance without the help of helmer David O. Russell.

Now if you'll remember, I had listed David O. Russell as one of my top directors to watch in the 2010s and this film proves why. The way he took this project, based on someone else's material, and made it his own is truly something to watch. It's different than anything he's done in the past and yet you can see that it's definitely a David O. Russell film. The family dynamics, the often humorous tone, and the fact that Mark Wahlberg gives one of his most solid performances. Watch Three Kings and I Heart Huckabees along with this film. Russell knows how to channel Mark Wahlberg's strengths. He makes Micky Ward's rise to victory more fun to watch because he's a great craftsman. As David Fincher has proven in the past 15 years, David O. Russell shows how well he craft someone else's material and put his own stamp on it.

But to be honest, beyond the well-crafted film and the solid Wahlberg performance, this film would be nothing more than just a typical rise to fame boxing story if not for the powerhouse performance by Christian Bale. Melissa Leo gives a great performance as Micky Ward's domineering mother and Amy Adams successfully plays against type as Micky Ward's bitchy girlfriend. But Christian Bale is what makes this a film to watch. Christian Bale proves once again, just in case you forgot, that he's a fine actor. If he doesn't win the Oscar for his role in this film, someone in the Academy deserves to be knocked out. Not only does he lose a staggering amount of weight for this film, but he completely sells his character Dicky Ecklund. Dicky is the fun, energetic guy with natural boxing talent that unfortunately didn't have the heart to become one of the best. Unfortunately, that caused him to turn to crack/cocaine which made him become a junkie.

What makes it all special is how Micky Ward tries to balance out his personal life with his professional life. When both of them appear to be falling apart, he manages to pull through and win everyone's heart. Even if, those conflicts between his family and his girlfriend still remain. There's something about Bale's performance that feels real to me. Bale plays on all the little different character traits and his character is one of the best written characters in recent film history. You laugh with him, you cry with him, you cheer, you cringe. Dicky Ecklund is what drives this film. David O. Russell, himself, said that there would be no movie if not for Dicky.

All of this amounts to The Fighter being one of the better films of the year. Not quite an instant classic, but not too far off either. The Fighter is a great film and it's something I can recommend to just about anyone, whether or not you're a boxing fan or just a fan of great performances. There's something in here for everyone.

Rating: 8.5/10