Lean, taut, moving, with some powerful performances

Rating: 9/10 (3 December 2010)

Among the many excellent things about this film, the first one that struck me is just how taut the structure is. It moves hard and fast all the way through, even in the most emotional movements. This alone should make it one to study for any would-be screenwriter who would like to learn about pacing (some judiciously chosen hard-driving rock doesn't hurt). This does not in the least prevent the film from exploring some issues that go well beyond the boxing struggles that are its surface subject. This is very much about how your family can hold you back (a bit in this way like "Million Dollar Baby"), but remain vital as your anchor nonetheless and also about negotiating competing emotional demands (demands from people who all truly love you) while eking out a clear view of your own individuality and needs. All of which could be very touch-feely and "deep" in another kind of film but is simply a central fact here in a narrative that never stops moving. Wahlberg does a solid, even excellent, job as the protagonist, and Amy Adams is working class tough and sexy in a way we rarely get to see, but the memorable acting here comes from Christian Bale - virtually unrecognizable even when you know who he is - and Melissa Leo, whose star has been rising so nicely since "Frozen River" but who has never so far as I know transformed herself so entirely as she does here to play a fierce but vulnerable working class matriarch - to the extent that I was wondering who this excellent unknown was until I saw the credits. Kudos too to the actresses playing the five sisters (not to mention wardrobe and make-up) for creating a combination Greek chorus/sight gag that is one of the film's lighter but more wonderful touches. Otherwise, to the degree that this is a boxing movie, it is an excellent one. The fight scenes are visceral and authentic, yet retain the gladiatorial nobility that lets us understand why the main characters here feel that this violent, even vicious sport offers a worthy arena for meaningful, even heroic, achievement.