Oscar Oscar! This movie is The Real Deal Folks!

Rating: 9/10 (12 December 2005)

WOW!
Just let me say right off - I'm a huge Boxing fan and something of an amateur 'boxing historian' so I want to state that Bias up front. Having said that - It gave me all the more reason to pay attention to this film and honestly I went in with some doubt about the Critical Acclaim that has been touting this film as if it were a masterpiece or some sort of secret weapon to sweep the Oscars. THE CRITICS WERE RIGHT THIS TIME and Cinderella Man is The Real Deal!
Everything is right with this movie, starting off with one of the most inspiring, moving stories in American History - about a man who was everything right and good about the USA once!
I promise you do not need to be a Boxing Fan to love this movie - but if you are you will be astonished at how fantastic those aspects are. You can barely believe the attention to the times of the sport, from the equipment to the arenas to the fighters styles to the fighters physiques even. I swear that WAS Max Baer or Primo Carnera in there!!
Everything is right from the sets, the historical instances, the cars, the visual image and look of the film. Its just wonderful in its visual appeal, the depression dull while the wealthy areas are so elegant and rich to look at. The Acting is AMAZING and there is not a bad performance .. heck, performances which are not even meant to be 'performances' are amazing from Max Baer to The NBC Announcer to the Braddock children , not to mention Crowe and Zellwiger! Everyone delivers MORE than you would even ask for! Giamatti is now forever impressed on me as THE new cinema caricature of Coach (Angelo Dundee thank you!)
Well sorry if I'm ranting and raving folks but I'm not even going to bother with detailed analysis or go through the plot line which many already know as its historical. Instead Let me just say that if you are like me, you have been a little disappointed with a string of recent films being touted as 'incredible' or 'masterpieces' and then finding out that while 'Million Dollar Baby' or 'Mystic River' were good and all.. they were not exactly in the realm of 'Truly Great Films'. Get ready for a treat because Cinderella Man IS a contender for a spot among the truly great films ever made!
Amazing shots in this movie too (look for fantastic techniques where Braddock views footage and how its done.. awesome!) Fantastic choice to focus the action in words over the radio.. at some points you are not even watching the fight but listening to it just as people did on Radios back then.. and you experience it like they did and what a great job on that! You will find yourself laughing out loud in this movie - believe it or not it has sincerely comedic moments too. You can catch yourself wanting to cry (warning: Women AND Men both at risk) and I caught myself literally cheering out loud at the screen!
Everything is right about this incredible Ron Howard film and I sincerely hope everyone takes a break from the 'Fantastic Four' and 'Goofball Comedies' for just one evening to sit down to a truly magnificent and destined to be classic film called Cinderella Man.
If you see this movie for no other reason than to visit the Great Depression and learn about a truly fantastic hero in more ways than his career - Its worth it all! Finally a Movie with Skill, Heart and Soul!
*Just shy of a Perfect Ten for relatively nitpicky reasons of a 'best friend' character that doesn't seem to really fit in the movie right and with the bar this high I would have maybe liked to see something new with the 'fighters point of view' shots, even as great as the scenes were. 9.4 if I could heh.
Cinderella Man is the Real Deal!