Braddock High!

Rating: 9/10 (4 April 2006)

I had a pugilistic ball watching "Cinderella Man". Director Ron Howard's bio of Great Depression boxer Jim Braddock is the most inspiring film of the year. Russell Crowe was a knockout as Braddock. Do not get so hung up on Crowe's real life phone banging ordeal. His uppercut performance as Braddock was of the heavyweight thespian class. Braddock was an upstart boxer of the late 20's when his fate turned for the worse and was heavily affected by the Great Depression of the 30's. He started losing fights, losing money, and close to even losing life. However, he had the tenacious courage to comeback and re-energize his boxing career and eventually became a champion pugilist! It is a real Cinderella story! Renee Zelweger plays his devoted wife Mae. Mae I say that I was impressed by Renee's performance here. Paul Giamatti diverse acting training came in handy with his hands-on charismatic performance as Braddock's trainer Joe Gould. Giamatti keeps proving that he is as good as "Gould" with each acting project he undertakes. Howard masterfully directed the film and was a technical artist with the exceptional champion boxing scenes. Probably the supreme boxing scenes in movie history! Sly Stallone and Martin Scorsese probably want to punch me out by that last comment. So before the clock strikes twelve, make all your boxing film dreams come true and visit the true fairy tale of "Cinderella Man". ***** Excellent