Not your typical boxing film!

Rating: Null/10 (7 July 2014)

Many sports films revolve around boxing and the challenges the leading actor faces. David O Russell's "The Fighter" is a powerful boxing film that develops all its fighting characters and gives a strong message about persistence. Mark Wahlberg plays Micky Ward, the real-life mid 1980's boxer from the streets of Boston who worked his way to earn special titles in the boxing world. Wahlberg really isn't the lead character focused on. Christian Bale gives an exhilarating performance as Micky's brother Dicky. Bale nails the Boston accent and plays a dirty and somewhat dirt-bag of a character. Dicky is a drug addict who used to be a former boxer and is famous for beating a world-class boxer, even though he wasn't the cause of the defeat. Dicky trains Micky to win everything, but the two brothers have strong arguments and aggressive crisis' they have to face. Amy Adams plays Charlene, Micky's lover. Charlene is a supportive girlfriend who needs to be aggressive with Micky's dysfunctional family. The head of that family is Dicky and Micky's mother, Alice. She's a tough Boston mom who has always aggressively supported her boys. Both ladies give great performances due to their perfect accents and exert strong emotions. This film refers to every character who fights throughout the story. David O.Russell doesn't just direct another "Rocky" with an f-bomb filled script in order to entertain the audience. He strives to inspire us. This film shows the dynamics of a family who are affected by one member trying to fulfill a dream and how teamwork, love and support can help achieve a goal. David O.Russell does a typical boxing film on the outline, but makes it extraordinarily unique due to what the film focuses on. This film should never be referred to as a boxing film, but rather a family film that revolves around boxing. Brilliant acting, superb script and perfect directing by David O.Russell. This film portrays the family life these people had beautifully, and shows the setting, lifestyle and dreams of persistent people come to life. Truly inspiring!