Authentic Recreation of Real Life Struggles Inside and Outside the Ring

Rating: 9/10 (20 May 2014)

Authentic, Argumentative, and Always Fascinating is this Boxing Movie Sliced from Real Life and this is some Down and Dirty Real Life. The True Story of a Concern Inside and Outside the Ring. The Movie is about a Promising Boxer Fighting Family and Other Pugs.
Mark Wahlberg is Perfectly Quiet, Overwhelmed by the Hero Worship of a Drug Addicted Former Boxer Brother (Christian Bale even more perfect took home the Oscar), a Domineering Mother, and a Brood of Sisters that just might be the Seven Dwarfs from Hell. Wahlberg is there to take the Punches from Everyone including the Boxers He is Forced to Fight and Sometimes is so Overmatched it may be Criminal. But when He gets to Throw a Commanding Left Hook You know that it Hurts.
This is a Film that is Filled with Highlights. The Across the Board Highly Ranked Acting, the Grim and Grimy Working Class Neighborhoods, the Spot On Matches that were Real Television Matches and Staged to Look Like Real Television Matches, the Entire Movie is the Real Deal.
Director Russell is in Top Form and this is His Best Move since Three Kings (1999) and Everyone Contributed to Make this a Movie to Reckon with. It can Stand on its Feet Alongside the Best Boxing Movies with so much going on that it is Impossible to Single Out One Aspect as Exceptional as the Film Resonates with a Strum-Beat Chord of Discontent, Delaying the Payoff for the Final Round.