Christian Bale owns this film

Rating: 8/10 (23 December 2010)

Bale gave one of the great performances in modern film in his role as Dicky Ecklund, former contender for a world boxing title, and brother of "Irish" Micky Ward, the subject of this film's story. Bale was so great and Oscar-worthy in his role it is hard to believe he was not a boxer at some time in his life, as he had all the tics, moves and brain-damaged mannerisms down solid. Mark Wahlburg was quiet and competent as Ward, as he typically plays all of his roles, but the real acting kudos go to Bale, Melissa Leo as the mother of Ward and Ecklund and their seven blowsy sisters(!), and to Amy Adams as Ward's gorgeous but tough-as-nails, bartender girlfriend who supported and protected him against the specious love of his mother and brother who took every parasitic advantage of Ward to pursue their own wants at his expense. Coarse and ignorant ethnic mannerisms, speech patterns, and social behavior of that clannish Irish ghetto were so spot-on one could imagine all of the cast living their entire lives before this film in that poor, decrepit and decaying factory-town part of Lowell, Mass. They were that good.
The story of the rise, fall, and rise again of Ward's boxing career was a good and involving one, made so much better due to the intertwined story of Ecklund's former boxing glory shown in stark contrast to his later life of a crack addicted, criminal loser whose job was to train his brother to be a world boxing champ but most often got derailed by his bad habit and truly pathetic friends.
The harsh but loving family interplay of this big and rowdy group was the best thing in the story, as all the behavioral things that keep poor people down were shown so well here.......irresponsibility, ignorance, temper, addictions, clannishness, and a skewed view of reality and right and wrong and how to deal with all of it. A real lesson was shown in how to screw up your life, but also shown for balance was how to improve it through hard work and the love and concern of those who truly care. This outrageous family really cared for each other, hard as it was sometimes to believe, and it proved out in the end.
One of the best films of the year and a true labor of love for Wahlberg, who tried for many years to get it made and finally did so in triumphant fashion. A real winner for him and for us.