Pop! Pop! Shazam!

Rating: 10/10 (30 May 2005)

Like mythical alchemists, Russell Crowe, Ron Howard, & Brian Grazer have once again contrived to make movie gold from what could have been mere lead. Their latest collaboration, Cinderella Man, is PURE magic, despite the fact that from the title alone, most could discern the outcome. The riches-to-rags-to-riches theme may be more than familiar to us, but is never more convincingly retold than here.
Based on fact, executed with uncanny skill, every scene of the movie, even the most brutal of boxing matches, is riveting. You can't take your eyes off the action, just in case you'll miss a single twitch of James Braddock (Crowe's) face or the infectious enthusiasm of a superb Paul Giammatti as his manager, Joe Gould.
As in every role he's played to date, Crowe morphs entirely into his character. His body is sculpted to appear as if he's just stepped out of a '30s newsreel. If anyone has ever doubted the actor's commitment to a role, they need look no further than when he performs his training scenes. Kudos to the surgeon who performed a second shoulder repair upon him, due to the recurrence of an old injury which threatened to halt the production in its infancy. He should be acknowledged as one of the sorcerers responsible for preventing the project from dissolving into a puff of expensive smoke. Of enormous significance, there is also an elusive but palpable humility in Braddock's portrayal, a quality which we have heretofore not seen in a Russell Crowe film, happy proof that the man many call 'greatest living actor' continues to learn & evolve.
Of course, there is the remainder of the superb cast: Renee Zellweger as Braddock's distraught & devoted wife, Craig Bierko as brutal playboy Max Baer (factual or not?), & Bruce McGill as slick promoter Jimmy Johnston, to name a few. Just as during any great sporting event, all the players perform to their highest abilities, the bar set by Crowe or perhaps, their mere collaboration. It matters not. The whole far outweighs the sum of the parts. Art direction, Costume design, Cinematography, Sound effects, & Score should be listed among these, since the look & sound of Cinderella Man is virtually another composite character, another ingredient in the magic formula. Let's hope the alchemy comes full circle, that the creators' bright & shiny alloy is fashioned into statuettes next February.