Bale, Wahlberg, and Adams all fight for the Oscar in "The Fighter"

Rating: 8/10 (11 January 2011)

Based on true events, "The Fighter" tells the story of boxer Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg) and his rise to fame. While focusing on Micky's life, the film also focuses on his family especially his brother Dicky (Christian Bale). The film starts off with Micky being a fighter living in his brother Dicky's shadow. We learn early on that Dicky, was once a great fighter who beat Sugar Ray Lenard, but is now washed up and fighting a drug addiction. The struggle soon begins when Micky has to decide whether he is going to make a career for himself or keep living in the shadows of his family. Lots of great acting and an inspiring story ensue...
Around November and December of each and every year a whole bunch of films are released with the hopes of being nominated for an Oscar. "The Fighter" is one of those films that just watching the trailer you can smell the nominations cooking. It also doesn't hurt that this movie is based on actual events, which seems to be a shoo-in for an Oscar nomination. "The Fighter" is extremely lucky because it was released in December and is also based on true events. With that being said, I can't even begin to say that this film doesn't deserve the attention its getting. Sure, we have seen films about boxing before but its the acting and the story that makes the film really worth while.
Christian Bale went all "Machinist" in this film. He looked horrible and deathly ill. For those who don't know, Bale always gets into his roles and does what it takes to play the part. In "The Fighter" he was to play a washed up fighter with a crack addition and let me tell you that he played that role to perfection. I actually laughed when the film first started because Bale looked so sickly and obviously had to really starve himself to fit the role, while Wahlberg just looked like his normal built self. Bale pulled off the crack addition fighter role like a pro, from the talk to the actual look, he just nailed this role. Don't get me wrong, Mark Wahlberg did a great job as Micky Ward. It was just funny seeing how much Bale had to transform himself to fit the role and Wahlberg just looked like he normally does. Wahlberg really shows that he is a good actor here and shows he has what it takes to play a more serious roles. Wahlberg has always been known to play the sexy buff roles but most of his other films haven't had much substance. Micky has a lot of back story and really requires a lot from Wahlberg.
Along with Wahlberg and Bale, fighting for the better performance you have some great supporting roles in this film. Amy Adams is just terrific as Charlene and gives a really powerful and emotional performance. I like how her character is frowned upon in the film for the first half that she's almost like the villain but than turns into the voice of reason later in the film. Adams has always been a great actress but it takes films like "The Fighter" to really get someone noticed. She is nominated for a Golden Globe, which I hope she wins. She definitely deserves it. Another noteworthy supporting role is Melissa Leo, who I recently really enjoyed in "Welcome to the Rileys." She played Micky's mom in the film and I have to tell you really played the mean-spirited and over protective mother role to near perfection.
The film itself wouldn't have worked as well as it did if it wasn't for a strong director and script. The story is simple but what made the film work was the vision and how it was was brought to life from script to screen. David O. Russell normally doesn't direct films like this but its nice to see him step outside his norm to direct something a little more down to earth. The screenplay, which was written by Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy, and Eric Johnson really did a good job developing the characters but not only that delivered a lot of raw emotion as well. Its sad to say but very few recognize that it takes a lot of effect from a director and screenwriters to make a film great. Sure actors steal the spotlight but those people behind the scenes are the ones who make them truly great.
In the end, the story of "The Fighter" is a uplifting one filled with some great performances, a great screenplay, and some solid direction. Its probably going to win a lot of awards this season and I think it deserves some of that attention most notable Bale and Adams. Its not a groundbreaking film because its based on actual events but its a solid film nonetheless. In terms of sport films, its probably one of the best I have seen. I think anyone who likes real life dramas will really enjoy this film. I think its one of the better films of 2010.
MovieManMenzel's final rating for "The Fighter" is an 8 out of 10.