For Dignity and Milk.

Rating: 9/10 (4 April 2009)

"In all the history of the boxing game you find no human interest story to compare with the life narrative of J J. Braddock".

Damon Runyan.

Rags to riches films are notoriously divisive amongst critics and fans alike, often tagged derogative wise as Awards Baiters, one could be forgiven for thinking that uplifting pictures have no place in cinema society. On the surface, Cinderella Man was always going to struggle to totally capture the movie loving world. It's directed by Ron Howard, who seems to forever be charged with the crime of lacing his puddings with too much sugar, and it's written by the person who brought us Batman & Robin! So not a good start there for many. Add into the equation that Russell Crowe stars as Braddock, at a time when Crowe was gaining unfavourable press for anger issues and a love of poetry: And also that it's yet another boxing movie, this film was disliked before it had even been released. Which is a mighty shame as the finished product is a triumph of acting and story telling nous, in fact inspiring probably isn't the word to do it total justice.
Much like with Apollo 13, Howard has managed to grab a story with a known ending and mold it into a heavyweight champion of a picture. Set as it is in the Great Depression, the amount of sentiment and heart tugging is naturally very high, but what would you have Howard do? Forgo the feeling of the time and Braddock's real life situation? Perhaps in favour of filler scenes that have no actual worth? Cinderella Man has no agenda other than to tell this incredible story of a good honest family man struggling to make ends meet. With a heart of a lion and a chin quarried from granite, Braddock {brilliantly realised by the irrepressible Crowe} went from top to bottom and rose like a phoenix to defy the odds and stun the boxing world at a time when morale was particularly low for many. This is no Rocky Balboa bunting strewn fanfare picture, this is a real story, from a real period, expertly told by all involved.
This is not to say that Cinderella Man is a perfect piece, it most definitely isn't. My personal complaint rests with not fully fleshing out the friendship between Braddock and Mike Wilson, with the almost unforgivable crime of underusing the talent of Paddy Considine {Wilson} entered on to the charge sheet. Craig Bierko as the murderously ruthless champion boxer, Max Baer, has obviously studied the character, getting the movements of the champ down pat, but he just never fully convinces as a real life boxer of note, something that Crowe most assuredly manages to do. But they are minor quibbles to me, and offset by the wonderful Paul Giamatti as Braddock's trainer Joe Gould, every sequence featuring just him and Crowe are real cinema high points; an acting tour de force from two very talented men. A special mention has to go to Renee Zellweger, who as Braddock's devoted wife, gets arguably the toughest role in the picture, that she leaves a firm and emotionally enlightening impression is with much credit to the pretty and undervalued Texan.
Rags to riches films are here to serve a purpose, they exist and will continue to be made because the world sometimes needs reminders that love, hope and respect can reign supreme, especially in trying and troubled times. Cinema is actually a form of medicine, especially when grounded in facts. Is it right to deny yourself a tonic when the need arises? Of course not, thankfully those involved with Cinderella Man knew exactly what to prescribe for the story of J J. Braddock. 9/10