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Trust Weighted
Really Great
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88Trust Points
BigdaddyDave's Review
Summary - Really Great 4.5
The Fighter delivers a knockout punch, telling the story of a “Irish” Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg), and his tumultuous relationship with his older half-brother and trainer Dicky (Christian Bale) While the movie’s title focus is on Micky, the more compelling story told is that of Dicky, a former boxer whose life has now sunk into drugs and crime. While Micky struggles to gain respect and wins to reach a title fight, Dicky struggles to control his addiction enough to train his brother, and hopefully gain respect again in a boxing world that has turned its back on him.
Bale is exceptional is his portrayal of the drugged out brother trying to be a part of Micky’s life. His complete lack of physical coordination and inability to keep appointments because of the drug use that has overtaken his life is heartbreaking. In his core, he wants to be there for his brother, but his addictions keep him grounded in despair.
Equally notable in the film are the portrayal of the close-knit, yet very dysfunctional mother and sisters, who become so henpecking, that Micky is almost embarrassed by their zeal to ride his coat tails. The sister’s inability to separate from an over controlling mother Alice (Melissa Leo), helps create a vortex of familial despair that Micky must face to realize his full potential. As the saying goes, “you can pick your friends, but you can’t pick your family.”
A great film with an award winning acting job by Leo and Bales, who both won Oscars. Deserved praise and honor for a film that is worthy of such praise.