Decent, but overcooked at times

Rating: 7/10 (6 December 2005)

In general, Cinderalla Man does pretty well. Its worth a rental, but I probably wouldn't purchase it. The narrative flowed pretty well and didn't drag that much; I took into account that the director and screenwriter were basing the material off a biography for the most part. I didn't like some of the side-story detours though like with his drunk friend who died after trampled - it felt melodramatic. The acting was for the most part good - especially Paul Giamatti, lighting up the boxing scenes and portraying a good friend and coach amiably with some verve. Crowe plays it low key and also does decently although his supposedly Irish accent sounds more Italian and slips at times, but that's minor. He's convincing enough as a Dad, Husband, and fighter. The period sets were also interesting, along with clothes, music, and life in the 30's - seeming plausible and additive to the story. Now, the child actors could've done better though - a little too directed maybe, and I'm not sure Renee Zellweger fits the role unfortunately....her persona felt misplaced. Where does the story feel overcooked? - the final 30 min or so, should have been edited and I didn't much care for the clichéd crowds/audiences in churches, bars, ring-sides etc demonstrating how we the audience should feel, or the contextual overuse of prayer granted they're Irish. The music/score sometimes felt cued and noticeably distracting. But despite the annoyances I found Cinderella Man to be entertaining and and with sporadic strong scenes.