Bale WOW, Wahlberg meh

Rating: 8/10 (25 April 2020)

Dicky Eklund is by far and away the best character in this movie - it would've been a crime if Christian Bale had not won an Oscar for this role. Unfortunately I wasn't so impressed by Mark Wahlberg's portrayal of the protagonist Micky Ward, who had both the emotional range and personality of a teaspoon. His character was so bland that in fact in the final fight scene - the welterweight championship bout - I found myself indifferent as to who won. Nonetheless this was still an excellent film, and David O. Russell's use of TV cameras during the fight scenes was unique and ingenious, giving The Fighter an edge over a myriad of other boxing flicks. Overall 9/10 (7 or 8 if it hadn't been for Bale).