Corny and too politically correct but it's impossible to say that it is below average.

Rating: 8/10 (26 March 2006)

It's evident that the entire cast tried very hard on virtually every notable part of the film. The story is about an off-written boxer Jim Braddock who's glory days seem to have gone away. It's the time of the early 1930's, a couple of years after the stock exchange market had collapsed. Time of the "Great Depression" they say. In the middle of it there's Jim Braddock, trying to support his family with manual work like most men back in those days. He stopped boxing because of a few bad injuries but the circumstances become so unbearable that he is determined to start his old profession again. Just for a fight or two he says. To get 'back in the black'.
The 1930's atmosphere is pretty authentic I just don't know why I find boxing films that occur in the present time more convincing. I guess I just relate to them strongly. Million Dollar Baby had the 'underdog effect' that exceeded this one. In my point of view MDB is a superior film on every aspect that it's possible too compare the two. Both movies have very handy color usage which contribute to the morbid atmosphere. That's a bit more visible in Cinderella man where the gray and brown shades are used through the entire story.
As politically correct as it is, it evolves in a pretty linear tempo. The tension rises when Braddock is notified that he's about to fight a little less politically correct opponent. Now we have a classical 'god vs. evil' tale. My favorite part of the film: When Braddock is watching the copy of what Max Baer (his rival) has done in his previous fight. It amplified the tension and drove the story through a little curve.
A few words on some fundamental aspects of (non-animated) movies. The acting is this movie's trump card. I can hardly believe that Crowe didn't receive an Oscar nom. Giammati's character was not all that. He seemed too usual. Zellweger was OK and pretty decent in playing Braddock's wife. At least a GG nom would have been something to expect for her acting. I wouldn't exactly place this in the top 250 list, probably somewhere in the tail of top 300. Besides I really juggled with a 7 and an 8.
........ 4/5 ........