When Losers Become Winners

Rating: 9/10 (29 May 2011)

In Lowell, Massachusetts, the HBO is filming a documentary about the life of the former boxer Dicky Eklund (Christian Bale), who is known as "The Pride of Lowell". Dicky knocked down Sugar Ray Leonard years ago, but now he is crack addict and the trainer of his young half-brother welterweight Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg), who is managed by their despotic mother Alice Ward (Melissa Leo) and is actually a brawler used to promote other fighters.
After another defeat, due to the acceptance of Dicky and Alice of a fight against a stronger boxer weighing 10 kg more than he, the ashamed Micky meets the bartender and drop out college girl Charlene Fleming (Amy Adams) and she helps him to see that that his career will have no progress if Dicky and Alice continue to administrate it. When Dicky is sent to prison for another wrongdoing, HBO broadcasts the documentary, which is actually about crack in America and not about Dicky's career, affecting the lives of his family and friends in Lowell.
Micky restarts his career with another trainer and manager and he climbs in the rank. But Dicky is released and Micky believes he is important to help him to win the World Championship, against the will of Charlene and his coach.
"The Fighter" is an extraordinary film about losers that have the chance to become winners. The entire cast has magnificent performances but Christian Bale is really awesome in the role of a junk in one of his best performances, thin like his character in the 2004 "The Machinist". This is the first time that I see the gorgeous Amy Adams without any glamor but she is still a very beautiful woman. The most impressive is that this dramatic story is based on a true story. Outstanding! My vote is nine.
Title (Brazil): "O Vencedor" ("The Winner")