The Fighter

Rating: 10/10 (19 December 2010)

The Fighter is based on the true story of Mickey Ward, who hopes to become a boxer as his older brother Dicky used to be quite good and was even in a huge fight on television that earned him a lot of respect. Dicky now these many years later is a crack addict and also Mickey's trainer, but he can never get to their training sessions on time and also a lot of the time he is burned out and oblivious to what is going on around him. Mickey's mother Alice, is his manager, but so far Mickey's fights haven't been all that successful and he longs for more. After meeting a feisty bar waitress named Charlene, she gives Mickey confidence and helps analyze the situation and helps him realize his true potential to become a champion fighter, but if he is to be successful he may have to do it without his family behind him because as Charlene sees it, they are holding him back more than anything and not really helping. The Fighter is a movie about boxing as I said above and about someone trying to become a boxer, but you do not have to know anything about the sport of boxing to enjoy this movie because that is only one aspect of the story. I personally am not really into sports, so if this film had just been a lot of sports manoeuvres and long drawn out boxing matches, I can imagine that it would not have been for me, but the way they put it together made me love what I was watching and earned a huge amount of respect from me after I had watched it. Mickey grew up in a rough side of town with seven sisters, a crack addicted brother who is continually getting into different forms of trouble and they just live a different type of lifestyle. They smoke and swear continuously and there is a great amount of dysfunction in this family. I am glad that this film did not shy away from those parts, but instead focused on them and made them an important part of the story. Yes at times the film is quite gritty and earthy and even at times disturbing, but it feels real and generates real emotion in us the viewers. If this had been a big glamorous Hollywood project with big production values and everything a little more flashy and slick I could not have seen the film having the same impact that it does now the way they did it. We also get to see the family interact and although there is so much dysfunction and even a bit of greed in them, I think deep down they do really want what is best for each other, but they just have to find that out first and discover it inside themselves. The story here is terrific. It gives us great character depth and study of all the main characters and does what I like best in these type of films, when they show the heroes, or main characters of these films and do not cover up their flaws and weaknesses, but instead put them on display and work with those elements to further enhance the story and make it believable. The film has a great pace and is absolutely riveting to watching. The direction is handled very well here as is the screenplay and it comes off beautifully from these top notch actors and their performances. Everyone is so good in this film in the different roles and personas they have to portray. For example, Christian Bale really gets into the look and the face and body language of a drug addict and at times it looks a little interesting, but he also shows us how tragic it is and that we really need to care for this character and all the emotion and work he puts into this performance is brilliant. I think of all the films I have seen Christian Bale in thus far, I would go as far as to say that this is so far his best performance in what will be a very long career. Also do not be surprised if he wins a Supporting Actor Oscar next year because he is truly deserving and I can not think of too many other male performances this year that were just as good, or even better. The supporting cast is all great here as well and also deserving of praise. This film will draw you in, fascinate you and take you on a roller coaster of emotions, but it is one you will be glad you went to see. Along with The Social Network, The Fighter is so far the best American film I have seen of 2010. Granted, I still have a lot to see, but this is a perfect film and in boxing terms a real knock out. Go see it at once.