A sleeping "Cinderella?"

Rating: 9/10 (15 July 2005)

I don't know what's more impressive; the fact that Russell Crowe keeps reinventing himself in every new role he takes on or the fact that Ron Howard is coming into his own as a great director. Several years ago when Howard and Crowe teamed up for A BEAUTIFUL MIND, they walked away with an Oscar for Best Picture. That's pretty impressive and hard to top, so what would be their encore? I think that question was answered with the release of Cinderella MAN. With all the summer blockbuster's taking over the box office these days, a small film like Cinderella MAN might get overlooked. But, that will be a big mistake in my mind after seeing this powerful story up front and personal. Not only is this film the sleeper of the summer, it might just be the best film of the year when it's all said and done. That might be jumping the gun a bit, but I guarantee if this film was released during the Oscar push later this year, it would be nominated for Best Picture. That's how good this film was and how much of a mistake it would be to pass up the opportunity to see it.
I think by now most people expect a great showing by Russell Crowe and I would have to agree. To some people, Crowe should be the only actor picked for epics, but it's not the epics that define him. It's the roles like the one in A BEAUTIFUL MIND and now Cinderella MAN that truly show how amazing he really is. He brings such natural emotion and reality to his roles that you forget you're watching Russell Crowe. The audience felt every step of his journey which can be attributed to Crowe and director Ron Howard. But, that journey spilled over into the rest of the cast and they too were amazing, as most are opposite Crowe. Leading that group was of course Renee Zellweger, who I must say was impressive as Mae. I think maybe the Oscar for CHICAGO she received a couple years ago wasn't as premature as I originally thought given how powerful she was in this one. And then there was Paul Giamatti, who once again produces a great performance worthy of praise. Giamatti (AMERICAN SPLENDOR, SIDEWAYS), who played Braddock's manager Paul Gould, continues to make his mark in Hollywood and I would bet there's an Oscar waiting for him in the not too distant future.
Given the fact that Cinderella MAN appears to be yet another "hero" boxing flick, I would bet most people would steer clear of this film. But, that would be a mistake in my mind after watching this story unfold. Not only did Ron Howard bring in the perfect actor to play Jim "The Bulldog of Bergen" Braddock, but he was able to carve out an original look at this famed story that frankly many people don't know about. This movie wasn't as much about boxing as it was about life and how tough it was during the Depression and how one boxer gave the whole nation hope. And, all throughout his film, you weren't thinking about boxing, you were focusing on the life of Braddock and what he was trying to do for his family. That's the heart of this story and why it's different than previous boxing-driven films like last year's MILLION DOLLAR BABY. Now, the boxing action in the ring was true to any other previous films, but Ron Howard was able to balance that into the story so that you were right along with Braddoock, every step of the way. It was that emotion that drove the film in and out of the ring, which is to Howard's credit and why he is becoming one of the best director's in Hollywood.
It's a shame that Cinderella MAN wasn't released closer to the fall, given its Oscar weighted cast and director. Taking a true story and molding it seems to be Director Ron Howard's thing these days and I would have to say he's pretty darn good at it. Unlike previous boxing flicks, this film manages to keep the focus away from the ring and produce a story that will surely have you talking days after you see it. Cinderella MAN may not be able to compete with all these other summer blockbusters when it comes to box office numbers, but those same blockbusters won't be able to hold a candle to the quality this film possesses.