Good, not great

Rating: Null/10 (5 September 2011)

The story of Micky Ward, the Lowell, Massachusetts boxing underdog who fought his way to the top of the game was destined to be a movie. The Fighter features larger-than-life characters, a love story, and some truly rousing fight scenes, and yet it's missing something. Micky himself, played here with quiet dignity by Mark Whalberg, just isn't an engaging enough character for us to get behind fully. However, there's enough grade-A acting and swift pacing to make up for that. The Fighter was directed by the controversial but acclaimed David O. Russell, known for films such as Spanking the Monkey and Three Kings. His direction here is straightforward, but artful. Read my full review at: http://bit.ly/nzVwGz