Great story, great characters!

Rating: 9/10 (3 May 2011)

The Fighter is a movie that is based on a true story about Micky Ward, a legendary boxer that goes from being a stepping stone in the ring to winning a world title. Micky, played by Mark Walhberg, seems to have all the heart in the world but doesn't always find himself in the best situations. Micky finds himself being hindered on many occasions by his overbearing family. The plot starts with his mother Alice, played by Melissa Leo, as his uneducated manager, while his brother Dicky works as his co-trainer. Dicky, played by Christian Bale, had a glimpse of hope as boxer when he knocked down Sugar Ray Leonard. Dicky seems to never move from this time in his life, and in turn he has nothing going for him besides an HBO series that documents his drug abuse.
I enjoyed the flow of the movie because it seemed to speed up when necessary and consequently slow down at times when the characters were moving fast. Also, I felt like the audience was always able to keep up with the plot, while not hard to follow, but also very volatile at times.
My favorite part of the making of this film is the sound. Whether it's the fights between the families or the actual boxing fights, you felt like you were right there ringside. The audience could hear the sounds of the glove hitting the face and you could feel the blood leave his nose. The emotions played a huge role in setting up the characters in this movie. You had to feel bad for Micky, as he tried so hard to do what's best and always seemed to fall harder than before.
One thing I thought was strange was how long it took for the plot to expose Dicky's drug addiction. It wasn't until he was arrested that it became clearly apparent that he was living out of a drug house. I wish the director would've put more emphasis on this subject because it truly was a huge piece to the movie. After viewing the awards for the movie, I feel Charlene, played by Amy Adams, should've received more attention. I think she played a phenomenal role, particularly where she stood up to Alice and when she fought with Micky's sisters.
All in all, this movie had a great storyline, and it played on every emotion the audience had. There were points you laughed, sometimes you grimaced, and most of all you felt compassion, not only for Micky but for his entire family.