Highly Overrated But Still Good

Fantastic!

As Good As It Gets

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

This movie was the last movie on my 2011 Oscars highlights list to watch and it stars a stellar cast and tells the story of Micky Ward and how he tried to rise up to boxing glory just like his brother once did.Firstly this movie is filled with fantastic performances. From Wahlberg's very underrated performance to Amy Adams' wonderful portrayal of Charlene and to Christian Bale's superb and crazy acting. To this day that is one of Christian Bale's best performances and I understood why he got the Oscar in 2011. This was a very crazy performance but as the movie shows the real Dicky person by the end, a very accurate portrayal of this interesting character. Wahlberg's performance is one of the most underrated things in this movie. He was calm and natural and realistic for the most part of the movie. Seeing him not getting nominated was weird and seeing Melissa Leo winning best actress was even weirder. The story is very true to the actual fact although some times it can be seen that it's been hollywoodized with periods where the hero is beaten up and then miraculously wins somehow. But that is done in a very fine way that made me close my eyes and say "yeah... it's ok!" compared to how the rest of the story unfolds. And really that would be my biggest gripe with the movie that sometimes the story gets somewhat hollywood typical and the boxing gets less real for more entertainment value, but that didn't took away too much from the quality of the movie. The story is very dramatic and very surprising and satisfying at times. There are lessons about redemption about rising up to big challenges and about trying to get everyone to support you the best they can while also emphasizing on how you should treasure everyone around you and take the best from everyone. This is a very motivational movie and a very realistic and well made movie with a great direction and superb cinematography that imitates the aura of television boxing very well. The music is just what you would need in this movie not being too sentimental and not too weird or unfitting for some sentimental moments, but gets the right balance between them. In conclusion: Great movie with fantastic performances, great story, great directing and powerful messages. One of 2010's best movies along with The King's Speech, Black Swan and Inception. 9/10

Mick, a wannabe champion boxer, is always surrounded by his family and forcibly "guided" in all aspects of his life by his bossy mother and drug addict, unreliable brother. This situation has been for too long, and thus, when he meets Charlene, his life is about to take a different turn. Slowly, she makes him realize he has been bossed by his family and that it is time for him to detach from them in order to achieve his career goal.It's a life story of a guy who doesn't have the guts to say no, or even stand for himself in front of his dominating family, and what he must do to succeed in life and career. It's dramatic and emotional but at the same time, mostly predictable and even boring. I enjoyed the main actors' performance, especially Bale's, but I always have the feeling that most of his roles don't do him justice. He's a brilliant actor but I don't think he chooses films that can make his acting truly shine. Overall, it's a good movie, especially if you're into biographies or "based on a true story" type of films.

Powered by terrific performances from its cast, The Fighter also happens to be David O. Russell's best film to date that may not rank amongst the finest examples of its genre but it still serves as a competently crafted sports biopic that's less about the sport & more about the athlete, his family & his path to redemption.The story of The Fighter follows the life of professional boxer Micky Ward who withdraws from the boxing world after suffering a humiliating defeat in a match he already had reservations about. The plot chronicles the journey he takes to get back into the ring while focusing on his relationship with his brother whose own life has taken a self-destructive route.Directed by David O. Russell (best known for Silver Linings Playbook & American Hustle), the story journeys the same route that majority of boxing films tend to take plus also falls flat in between on a few occasions but what infuses a vibrant energy into it is the rich set of interesting characters it packs in & a talented ensemble that brings those characters to life with finesse.The boxing sequences are brilliantly choreographed and do provide the necessary adrenaline high when it matters but this picture is more focused on the relationship between the two brothers and illustrates it amazingly well, for those moments do pack a powerful punch. But it also suffers from letting it characters go a bit overboard at times, something that has become a norm in O. Russell's films of lately.Coming to the performances, the cast comprises of Mark Wahlberg, Amy Adams, Christian Bale & Melissa Leo, with Bale & Leo impressing the most. It's not that the input by leading cast falls short in any aspect, it's just that Bale & Leo take their supporting characters to a different level, and the Academy Award they won for their respective works in this feature film is definitely an earned one.On an overall scale, The Fighter is no genre masterpiece but it still offers a sufficiently entertaining ride that will leave majority of its viewers satisfied in the end. It's not without its shortcomings but most of them get brushed away by the powerful, explosive & riveting performances delivered by its ensemble. The story isn't memorable by any means but what Bale & Leo pull off here will continue to reverberate for a few more years down the line.

Not knowing a lot about this movie going in, I expected it to be just another boxing movie that focuses on a complete underdog going from a nobody to a world champion, but I was wrong.Sure, Mickey Ward (Mark Wahlberg) acquires underdog status somewhere along the way, particularly in the final few fights, but he is much more than that.I was more than impressed with the performances. The four main leads really brought some of the best work.Mark Wahlberg's Mickey Ward was very convincing and I thought his boxing performances were dedicated and sharp. He was more than just a boxer who wanted to be the best. He switched between idealising his brother and realising his flaws while still hoping for redemption.Christian Bale fully deserved his Oscar for this performance as Dicky Eklund, a local legend and drug addict. The script gives him a lot to work with, but I was more impressed with his depth of facial expression to convey Dicky's emotions. The scene in which Mickey tells him about the deal not to work with him anymore was stellar. I really believed it, down to Bale's performance.I've always been impressed with Amy Adams in everything she does and her role as bar worker Charlene Fleming was no exception. Charlene is a college dropout (due to partying too hard) who attended on a high jump scholarship. She becomes romantically entangled with Mickey and her fiery personality and grit cause problems with Mickey's family members. Adams plays the part with conviction and precision that comes from a dedicated approach to the role. She really proves herself as one of the greatest in her generation.Melissa Leo pulls out a wonderful performance as Alice Eklund-Ward, mother to Mickey, Dicky and their sisters. I was impressed with Leo's performance, though less so than her co-stars. In my opinion, the Academy Award belonged to Amy Adams for her performance as Charlene.The boxing scenes weren't really all that different from other movies, but still exciting and exhilarating. The final fight of the film Ward v Neary left me gripped, unable to look away, my heart pounding as the action took place.All in all, a wonderful movie that proves David O'Russell's talent in directing award-winning performances with a cast that give everything that have to their characters. So I give it a 9/10