For a script that was ignored by both Aronofsky and Scorsese , David O.Russell has shown very well that he too can uplift an audience.

Rating: 8/10 (5 January 2011)

The Fighter is a fat bundle of sentiments and emotions much like its last scene (the famous Shea Neary win,search youtube for real-life footage), not only for familial bond that "Irish" Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg) yearned for ,but also for the locational history and more importantly pride to be restored, here in this case Lowell, Massachusetts. The families there seem to have strong ties, whatever/whomever they might be.
Dicky Eklund's (Christian Bale, again turned down by Matt Damon and Brad Pitt ) welterwieght boxing career had died long before he and his over caring mother , Alice (Melissa Leo), realised it for themselves . His addiction to crack-cocaine was the center subject of the documentary named, High on Crack Street: Lost Lives in Lowell , that HBO filmed closely for 18 months. But he seemed to careen himself into a deeper addiction spiral and his mother , who managed Ward initially ,kept lying to herself. There is a scene where Bale sings an old Bee Gees song, " I started a Joke ", to his mother, do watch out for the lyrics.
Bale and Wahlberg Charlene (Amy Adams) the sharp mouthed bar-girl is all about getting Ward into a focus that had him arguably "back on track". But Micky's win over Sanchez makes things more complicated, for his family in itself is complicated. A bunch of sisters who crowd the screen with their cigarettes and foul clichés topped by his mother herself, is just about enough for anybody.
But family is family and he knew he always wanted needed his half- brother Dicky's help. Somewhere someone always seem to be more important to us more than anyone anywhere. I guess thats what is called family. It is not because Bale is more on the screen that this film is overtly praised for his performance, among all critics all around. It is not because Wahlberg wasn't good, hell no (watch Boogie Nights). It is not because Amy Adams and Melissa Leo weren't great. In screen,they were equally good. Great , in fact. But,it is because of his (Bale) impact on screen even when he is not present.
The film is about Micky Ward. But Micky Ward is all about Lowell, his half-brother Dicky and his family and that is what we see. In fact when half the time the camera wanders on the streets occasionally floating in and out of houses filled with thick smoke and strong emotions it doesn't take too much time for you to realise, "Here is a story that needs to be told". Micky Ward might be a local boxing legend now ,but it was his crazy half-brother,crack head, Dick Eklund who was there to tell him "This is yours".
The final boxing match was a success both to the screen and in real with honest emotions which surprisingly and unsurprisingly didn't interest both Aronofsky and Scorsese . I guess the only thing that would've interested Darren must've been the drug quotient in the script and Scorsese , well he already made Raging Bull, so wth can't blame him. Just wondering, not that David O.Russell didn't fare well. It is his best till date, undoubtedly. But sadly for him ,it will be remembered for Bale's Oscar.
Oops did I jinx it for him? I hope not.