A Powerhouse Of Riveting Performances, The Fighter Is David O. Russell's Best Film To Date

Rating: Null/10 (12 September 2016)

Powered by terrific performances from its cast, The Fighter also happens to be David O. Russell's best film to date that may not rank amongst the finest examples of its genre but it still serves as a competently crafted sports biopic that's less about the sport & more about the athlete, his family & his path to redemption.
The story of The Fighter follows the life of professional boxer Micky Ward who withdraws from the boxing world after suffering a humiliating defeat in a match he already had reservations about. The plot chronicles the journey he takes to get back into the ring while focusing on his relationship with his brother whose own life has taken a self-destructive route.
Directed by David O. Russell (best known for Silver Linings Playbook & American Hustle), the story journeys the same route that majority of boxing films tend to take plus also falls flat in between on a few occasions but what infuses a vibrant energy into it is the rich set of interesting characters it packs in & a talented ensemble that brings those characters to life with finesse.
The boxing sequences are brilliantly choreographed and do provide the necessary adrenaline high when it matters but this picture is more focused on the relationship between the two brothers and illustrates it amazingly well, for those moments do pack a powerful punch. But it also suffers from letting it characters go a bit overboard at times, something that has become a norm in O. Russell's films of lately.
Coming to the performances, the cast comprises of Mark Wahlberg, Amy Adams, Christian Bale & Melissa Leo, with Bale & Leo impressing the most. It's not that the input by leading cast falls short in any aspect, it's just that Bale & Leo take their supporting characters to a different level, and the Academy Award they won for their respective works in this feature film is definitely an earned one.
On an overall scale, The Fighter is no genre masterpiece but it still offers a sufficiently entertaining ride that will leave majority of its viewers satisfied in the end. It's not without its shortcomings but most of them get brushed away by the powerful, explosive & riveting performances delivered by its ensemble. The story isn't memorable by any means but what Bale & Leo pull off here will continue to reverberate for a few more years down the line.