A remarkably un-memorable boxing flick.

Rating: 7/10 (4 September 2011)

This is a surprisingly safe film for a film maker like DOR to make, and as a result of its cliché conventions, it feels like it's trying to get Oscars, rather than trying to tell this story of this family skilfully. to put it simply, its a comeback film like 'the wrestler', yet told with little of that film's subtlety, or its pathos. you get the feel good story, with some obstacles to overcome along the way. THAT'S IT.
performances are mixed. Leo is very good as the overbearing matriarch (whether its Oscar worthy is another thing), and Bales is also very good as Dicky. wahlberg on the other hand, is stoic and impotent. he drifts through each scene without owning them. I've never been a huge fan of his acting, and this confirms my lack of admiration. its like he worked more on his six pack for the role than his acting. Adams as his girlfriend is also below her best, and i am a fan of her work. but here she plays a stereotypical boston girl, full of confidence and fire, but it feels like a caricature of nearly every other bawston female we've seen in recent years.
the script really plays it safe and there is never too many surprises in the plot's development. the family drifts apart, then dicky gets clean in jail, comes back to do right with his life, mom is forgiven, everyone is happy and friendly, and in an inspiring climax mick wins the world title, in a fight that is on par with rocky for its fight choreography. for gods sake there's even a training montage with an 80's rock number playing ala rocky. whether this is meant to be ironic or not i dunno.
Going from I Heart Huckabees, an abstract, existential comedy, which was obviously not meant to reach a wide audience, to a formulaic rags to riches boxing flick which plays like its counting its Oscar noms by the minute, is just mind boggling. 3 kings displayed the talent which russell so obviously has, but his last 2 flicks have quickly buried that promise.