A Complete Knockout!

Rating: 10/10 (13 June 2005)

What a superb film and bank on this: come Feb.'06,it'll be up for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor(Giamatti, Best Director and Best Screen Play. It's better than any "Rocky" and is probably the best boxing film ever made except for "Million Dollar Baby." Russell Crowe, despite his real life flamboyance,sexual escapades and childish fits of anger is truly one monster of an actor. The Aussie truly became, in language and action, a North Bergen, New Jersey guy. Zellweger, as always, is brilliant and Paul Giamatti as his manager is astounding.
This film is all about honesty and decency at a time ,in this country's history, when both, in the midst of the Great Depression, became extinct. We were inundated with "Hoovervilles" nationwide. Soup kitchens, bread lines, the dole; it's a wonder our government wasn't overthrown by anarchists and Reds. We stayed intact because of men like Braddock and the true marvel of this film is that one is able to personally feel every emotion displayed on the screen. We become totally immersed in every scene; we are truly affected by every scene and to prove it, how often does an audience stand, cheer and clap at the end of any motion picture? Good Heavens' has Ron Howard given us another masterpiece!