A fine boxing film

Rating: 8/10 (2 February 2011)

When the script for The Fighter ended up reaching Mark Walhberg he was demanded to make it, going through a long pre-production before it was finally made.
The Fighter is the story of Micky Ward (Wahlberg), a 30-year-old welterweight boxer from Lowell, Massachusetts. He is trained by his brother, Dicky Eklund (Christian Bale) and his mum, Alice (Melissa Leo) is his manager. Micky is a boxer who never fulfilled his potential and his family have dominated his career. Dicky is also a crack addict and been followed by a documentary crew. The whole family live in the past because of Dicky's greatest achievement was knocking out Sugar Ray Leonard. After Micky was forced into a fight against a much heavier boxer he is ready to quit, especially after Dicky is arrested and the police breaks his hand. But after Micky meets a barmaid, Charlene (Amy Adams) and with the support of her and his dad (Jack McGee), Micky sets about having a comeback with his brother and mother and has a shot at being the World Title. Whilst in prison Dickey attempts to come clean and get himself back into shape.
Originally Darren Aronofsky was set to direct The Fighter but in the end left so he could do Black Swan: so David O. Russell stepped in. Russell did attempt to follow some of Aronofsky's style, using hand-held cameras and looking at live in a working class urban setting, but he uses a lighter colour pallet and injects a bit of humour into the story. Moments of comedy particularly involving Micky's sisters, the next being even more ugly then last and when Dicky tries to escape his mother by jumping out a window. This is a film about family loyalty and how it could have a destructive affect, that if someone tries to do something for himself and gets advise outside the family that it is seen as an act of betrayal. Its almost like the Mitchell family in Eastenders, where every action has to done with the rest family in mind. But it shows that family does not always knows best. It is also an examination of inner city live in a run down city and general working class culture where boxing is a popular sport. It is an area that is ignored by people, where people turn to vices ranging from drink to drugs.
Acting wise this was Wahlberg's dream project, but the problem is that Micky Ward is very passive character. He is a man who just gives in to his family or needs advice, he does not do any action for himself. It makes him a weak-willed hero. Wahlberg gives Micky a quiet personality and does look the part. But it is the supporting characters that are more interesting roles and do more in the way of action. Christian Bale throws his all into his role, making out that Dicky could be a joker and someone who did love his brother, but someone who could not be trusted and simply lives on past glories. He is a man who has to face up to his demons and move on with his live. Adams's character is a feisty being, someone who does not take stick from anyone. She is a tough, edgy working class woman but also fun to see in her bra and panty. Leo's character is very much a matriarch, the head of the family who loves her children but things she knows best when really she does not. She rules with almost an iron fist and it is either her way or no way. She unfairly favours Dicky despite what he does and over looks Micky's wishes and achievements. The problem is Micky disappears on screen when all these other characters are on screen and Wahlberg should had made his character stronger.
When it comes the fighting screens they are well handled by Russell and he shots all the ring action like it was done by television crew. It is a bit different and allows you to see all the action. It also focuses all the action on the ring and the fight crew, with the crowd plunged in darkness.
A criticism I have of the film is way the England was portrayed, with English people portrayed in the most stereotypical way possible. I haven't seen any English people dressed in old-fashion bowties and it would even less like that boxing officials would look like that. The man who plays Shea Neary, Anthony Molinari is meant to be a Liverpoolian but his accent sounds like a weird cross between Scottish and Australian. His characterisation was also handled in a clichéd way, a complete bastard: this was done in many of the Rocky films and Cinderella Man with the idea of making you want to route for Ward. But we do not get to see much of Neary anyway and surely wouldn't it be more realistic that he said something like I am here to win without bad mouthing his opponent. It certainly would be different. Rant over, The Fighter is at times a little slow and does have a few too many montages, but it still an enjoyable film, particularly to anyone who likes boxing.