The Fighter: 8/10

Rating: 8/10 (31 December 2010)

Based on a true story of professional boxer Micky Ward, The Fighter is about how Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg) fights his way of family and friends to the championship title. Dicky (Christian Bale), Micky's half-brother and trainer, is a drug addict that always fail to show up for training. Their relationship is complicated because Micky wanted more than just a crackhead brother who doesn't know what he's doing. Supporting along that line come Alice (Mellisa Leo), the brothers' mother and manager, who also wants Micky to stay with her and Dicky instead of going to someone better. After meeting the love of his life Charlene (Amy Adams), who convinced Micky that his family's no good, he decided to go on and try something else. Success with the new manager and trainer, Micky got the shot of the title match.
Mark Walhberg who plays the boxer is to many critics the lowpoint of the film. Every time the camera focuses on him, it seems like he doesn't have anything to say. Perhaps the writing for Walhberg isn't as concentrated and too vague compare to his co-stars. Walhberg was suppose to carry the film with his role but instead it felt like his co-star Christian Bale did all the heavy lifting. Playing a drug addict who went to jail for resisting arrest and assaulting an officer, Bale (Dicky) was at his best. Emotionally understanding and physically confused by years of sitting on his ass, Dicky's only job was to train his brother into the championship. Bale gave up this amazing vibe that he knows what he's doing but at the same time too confused to do it right. The film, rather than focusing on Mark Walhberg, did a completely different character study on Christian Bale. Carrying along the heavy loads are Mellisa Leo and Amy Adams who played the mother and girlfriend of Walhberg. Leo and Adams had a chemistry in which both hated each other and both share the same goal of helping Dicky. Delivering explicit lines, Amy Adams is the best I've seen her in years. With two Oscar nominations already, she might even earn her third.
Though the cast is above average, the writing in some parts were off. It seems like the writers wanted the actors themselves to carry the film without dialogue. They thought they can depend on the actors, but it is impossible for the actors to do any good without a solid script.
David O. Russell finely crafted the film, but at times, it looked as if only the fighting scenes count. Focusing too much on the fights instead aiming to offer drama, he made the movie looked like an ESPN fight show. But set aside all of that, David O. Russell's got a talent in him and the fight scenes do look amazing. Perhaps his biggest contribution to the film is his directing of the cast.
The Fighter has a predictable plot yet it pulls out so much depth offered by the cast that we can say The Fighter is finely entertaining.
OscarBuzz: Best Picture (with 10 nod this year, it will be nominated), Best Supporting Actor (Christian Bale, win), Best Supporting Actress (Mellisa Leo, Amy Adams, both have a good chance), Best Score, Best Cinematography