A totally character-driven fight film

Rating: 9/10 (3 June 2005)

Never once through this rather long film did I find myself fidgeting - I was riveted. I have minor problems with the fact that Renee Zelwigger looked fabulous throughout, and, please, some of her lines...poor dear. I have minor problems with the fact that Braddock found his friend in Hooverville in the middle of the night in the middle of a riot - nothing about that scene worked for me. But who cares - the rest was stone brilliant. Paul Giometti should be a lock for best supporting actor - no way that performance is going to be forgotten come Oscar time. Russell Crowe was stellar. Great accent, totally ready for the role, conveyed a world of pain in the smallest ways. Totally believable. Fortunately I hadn't read anything about the film before seeing it, so the suspense was real and unrelenting. I was amazed to get home and discover I wasn't black and blue all over. What a movie.