Disgusting people tell a high quality story

Rating: 8/10 (14 March 2011)

If you thought you knew what white trash was then watch The Fighter and it will introduce you to a whole new grotesque and degrading level. The Fighter is based on the true story of "Irish" Micky Ward and his climb to the top of boxing fame. However, the movie isn't as much about Micky's boxing career as it is about him and his family and how his career is strongly affected by the white trash nut jobs in his family. First off there's his brother, Dicky Eklund. Dicky was himself a fighter at one point, but when his career started to wane he began smoking crack and his addiction turned him in to the pathetic human being he is in this film. Then there is Micky's mother, Alice, who is also his manager. She is borderline insane and incredibly controlling, She also has seven daughters, each uglier and more obnoxious than the other. The seven of them are almost one character whose opinions are always let out unanimously and they each bounce off of each other in some of the funniest banter of the film. Their family is fascinating as well as disgusting.
It's hard to get the most out of a film when the majority of the characters are just such horrible, white trash, sleeze bags with hardly any redeeming qualities. The family dynamics in the film are also always changing, making it hard to decipher just how much you like or dislike these characters. At heart, these characters all love each other and there is a strong theme of family ties throughout this film. But there are those times where these characters are pointlessly mean to each other, but you can argue that this all stems from their white trash lifestyle. But it's this bottom of the barrel lifestyle that really makes these characters much less likable than they should be. Of course the film is based on a true story so to make them more respectable human beings may have skewed the point of the film.
But no matter how deplorable these people are, I cannot deny that the actors portraying them all do a superb job. The film one two Academy Awards, both acting, and it deserved both of them. Christian Bale plays Dicky Eklund, a role which he lost a scary amount of weight for. Bale does a ridiculously good job in the film. Dicky is arguable the most interesting character of the film, possibly because of how perfectly he was portrayed. Bale finds the perfect balance between over the top crack addict and an emotionally fueled man who, deep down, has a big heart. Melissa Leo plays Alice, Micky's mother, and she also captures the perfect balance in her character. Her dialouge also has that fast paced inner city cadence coupled with an excellent inner city accent. Amy Adams plays Charlene, Micky's girlfriend, and she is excellent. She is far from a damsel in distress character dating a boxer for protection. In some ways shes stronger than Micky and Amy Adams' tough and outward demeanor makes her a perfect casting choice. The main character of the film, Micky Ward, is played by Mark Wahlberg. I also go back and forth on Wahlberg and I would have to say that in The Fighter he is the lowest point as far as acting goes. He tries very hard and he is undoubtedly dedicated to his role, but his performance is lackluster and is heavily overshadowed by his superior supporting cast.
So I've made it clear that the characters in this film aren't exactly likable and a lot of what goes on between them is a little disheartening and off putting. But what really saves this is the fact that The Fighter is just a really well made film. David O. Russell directs with a fantastic personal eye. There are some fantastic shots that last for minutes at a time, sweeping back and forth between characters as they argue and bicker. He also shoots the boxing scenes with a different camera or something, because he makes it look as if the fight is actually on TV. It's fascinating and very enthralling to watch. The boxing scenes are also very realistic and brutal so as to grip your emotions so tight that you can't look away as two men beat each other senseless. The dialouge is also great. There are no throwaway lines or pointless scenes and the flow of the dialouge stays very consistent, as does the flow of the entire film. This is a film that tries, producing something very high quality and in no way half-assed.
The Fighter is an excellent film, despite any problems I had with the characters and the despicable ways in which they treated each other at times. These people just come from a different world, and it isn't a world that want to relate to at all. Because of this, I feel like there is a very thin barrier keeping me from loving this film as much as I could have. But this barrier doesn't keep me from seeing just how well this film is made and just how superb the actors are. This is a must see for fans of boxing films. It's no Raging Bull, but it is still quite the film.