What makes a fighter

Rating: 10/10 (17 December 2010)

Despite the inevitable comparisons to other movies about boxers ("Rocky," "Raging Bull," and even "The Wrestler"), "The Fighter"—although its protagonist is a pugilist—would still be called "The Fighter" even if he weren't. The toughest of Micky Ward's fights do not occur in the ring—they occur with his family and himself. This is ultimately a film about fighting against the restraints that prevent us from achieving our potential (those self-imposed and those imposed by family members who claim to have our best interests in mind). Mark Wahlberg delivers what is probably the most understated and effective performance of his career, Christian Bale is astonishing as his crack-addicted brother who insists on perpetually reliving his own singular moment of boxing glory, Melissa Leo is amazingly detestable as their Medea of a mother, and Amy Adams—best known for playing meek, sweet, likable characters—displays impressive range as Micky's feisty supportive girlfriend who's battling some demons of her own. Everything about this film is utterly great—from the performances to the script to the directing of David O. Russell. "The Fighter" is, so far, my favorite movie of the year (and yes, I'm including "Inception"), and I see Oscar nominations for everyone.