An excellent film that recalls the hardships that most Americans...

Rating: 10/10 (4 June 2005)

The reality of the film is the best feature. For those of us that are too young to have lived through the depression (my parents did), it is hard to relate to the sheer enormity of the economic collapse that occurred from 1929 through 1936/7. Especially in light of the great country that we have become: EVERYONE has color TV's, and even those living below the poverty line, have it far better than the poor and even middle class of the 1930's.
Crowe provides a very credible boxer of yester-year and Rene Z is simply perfect! Paul G is his typical excellent as a main supporting character, you really take a strong liking to him, as he believes in his friend, Braddock.
The only criticism is that the movie editing lingers a bit too much on the fear that Mrs. Braddock displays. No, I am not into the gore, but the movie was about very tough times and how one man survived the Great Depression and survived some very brutal fights, more than 100 in his lifetime. The average Heavy Weight boxer today will have less than 25 fights in his career and less than 10 fights after he takes the title.
Go see the film, as it is worth the full price admission. We plan on purchasing the DVD once it becomes available.
Good film watching!