This Film is hard to forget

Rating: 8/10 (4 January 2011)

I rarely go to the movies anymore, saving my money for the good films, and this one was one of them. The critics got it right with The Fighter, it really is one of those old fashioned films. It feels like an Independent film, not a Paroumount Production. The direction felt like that of a Clint Eastwood film, each character fleshed out to the fullest, even the ones with just a couple of scenes, they each fit into to the story in their own ways.
What made the movie great was the performances. All around, especially by Christian Bale, I really can't help but wonder about this man. He is a fine actor and I always knew that, but after Terminator 4 I wondered about his future. I thought money got to him, but he's back to form, and this was his best performance since The Machinist and The Prestige. It's as if Bale always plays a lunatic in all his films, he's just that type of actor, but He just doesn't play a yelling and insane lunatic in this film, he plays an eccentric and emotional role. Even comedic at times. And he really molded into the role and put his heart into it. I didn't even know it was him at times, the weight loss added to it as well. It's amazing how this man loses and gains weight from film to film.
Melissa Leo was phenomenal ! Where did she come from? Great emotive acting from her part, I'm now a fan. And Amy Adams also has a great future in this business, what a job by her as well, never has a movie been full of so many great performances by the whole cast. Oddly enough Mark Wahlberg was the only one who was forgettable in this film. He wasn't bad, but nothing outstanding. His fighting was also shoddy, the choreography was poor in my opinion. He didn't convince me in the ring, Hilliary Swank was more convincing in Million Dollar Baby. Just like DeNiro was in Raging Bull and Will Smith in Ali. They actually looked like boxers, Wahlberg looked as if he never threw a punch in his life.
All in all, a great film, even though it's predictable as all True Stories are. The screenplay was solid ,as were the performances. A contender for multiple Oscar nominations.