Don't Call It A Comeback

Rating: 10/10 (18 December 2010)

"The Fighter" is the perfect title for this film. Sure, we have Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg) taking and dishing hits in the ring; however, the real fighting is outside the ring. It is all the obstacles that Micky must battle with his crack-addicted brother (Christian Bale), brainwashing mother (Melissa Leo), and girlfriend, Charlene (Amy Adams), that embody his title of 'fighter.' It's truly amazing what Micky has to go through, and the viewer can really feel the internal conflicts in his character pulling at each other and nearly ripping Micky at the seams. That is what makes this film so memorable. Russell does a remarkable job at showing human emotions, and the powerful performances of every actor in the film really sweep you off your feet. He forces so much empathy out of you that at points I found myself confused as to what he should do, though the choice should seem obvious. The fight scenes are definitely captivating, but it is the drama that leads up to his fights that is truly gripping. By the time you get to any of the fights, before a punch is thrown, You are already on the edge of your seat.
A smaller aspect of this film that I enjoyed is how realistic the boxing matches are. A lot of boxing films, Cinderella Man and even Million Dollar Baby, exaggerate what it takes to win a boxing match. It does not take Goku's Kamehameha to knock somebody out. As an amateur boxer, I was often bothered by some of the hyperbolic blows seen in previous movies. "The Fighter" does a great job of continuing its visceral reality through the matches by showing how a seemingly withered punch to the body can actually be a match winning blow to an opponent.
In the end, this film is a definite must see. I actually enjoyed "The Fighter" more than "True Grit" which was surprising considering how big of a Coen Brothers fan I am. Bale's performance is worth the ticket price (only half an arm where I went). It's not quite a comeback story or an underdog story; it's somewhere in between that can only be found on the edge of your seat in the theater.