Maybe not a champion, but certainly a contender.

Rating: 7/10 (15 March 2011)

"I'm the one who's fighting. Not you, not you, and not you."
The Fighter is a family drama disguised as a boxing movie. A pretty decent family drama, in fact.
Maybe saying it's "disguised" as a boxing movie is inaccurate. Boxing is a big part of the movie and the life of the characters. But most of the drama comes outside the ring, as a result of the push and pull between Mickey Ward's domineering but loving manager/mother, his self-destructive brother/trainer/former champ, and his new girlfriend, father, and other people who are trying to help him achieve his dream of being a boxing champ.
Much has been made about the performances of Christian Bale and Melissa Leo, and the praise is completely deserved. Especially for Bale, who gives the performance of his career in this movie. Amy Adams was also great, and continues her string of strong performances in good movies (she's my favorite contemporary actress for good reason). That's not to discount Mark Wahlberg, who does a fine job as the central character. The other actors just steal the show.
All in all, I'd say that The Fighter is a solid movie elevated my some fantastic performances. Even if sports biopics aren't really your thing, you should give it a try just to see some excellent actors at work.