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The Fighter
Christian Bale, Mark Wahlberg, Amy Adams
There are films you must see because you love films and to miss them would create huge holes in your filmgoing experience. Then there are films you must see because everybody’s talking about them and you want to be in on the conversations. I wouldn’t put The Fighter in that second category, but it approaches it. There’s been a ton of buzz about the performances, especially Christian Bale’s, and while the film falls a bit short of its hype, it’s got enough going for it that you could do a lot worse.
It’s tough to fault Bale for any shortcomings this movie has, and it has a few. He inhabits the character of Dicky Ecklund like an animal trying to shed its skin. His performance is the most physically impressive I’ve seen since Meryl Streep’s portrayal of Julia Child last year. I admit I have a few reservations about the acting, because while it’s very good, I wonder how much better it is than any other decent actor’s performance as a crackhead, a boxer, or a crackhead boxer.
Amy Adams is just about as impressive as Micky Ward’s girlfriend Charlene. She’s a pretty woman, but she allows herself to be seen from unflattering angles and doesn’t seem at all self-conscious about it. It’s true that she plays a pretty woman in the film, yet it’s a different kind of pretty from the pretty she plays in, say, Leap Year. Charlene isn’t perky or peppy or sweet. Though she’s still the prettiest girl in the neighborhood, she hasn’t taken the best care of herself and her life’s been pretty sucky. Man, what a likable actress.
I don’t know if Mark Wahlberg is going to get an Oscar nomination for his Micky Ward, but I wouldn’t have a problem with it. He does a solid job and would probably have been more impressive with a better script. I didn’t see any missteps, and he comes across as likable and conflicted.
The script doesn’t give us enough, and that’s where the film falls short. While it is entertaining, it isn’t the kind of compelling that might have put it up there with great films like Rocky. Still, I can’t think of anyone who’d dislike it. Not yoo, not yoo, and not yoo!
7/10 (IMDb rating)
71/100 (Criticker rating)
Christian Bale, Mark Wahlberg, Amy Adams
There are films you must see because you love films and to miss them would create huge holes in your filmgoing experience. Then there are films you must see because everybody’s talking about them and you want to be in on the conversations. I wouldn’t put The Fighter in that second category, but it approaches it. There’s been a ton of buzz about the performances, especially Christian Bale’s, and while the film falls a bit short of its hype, it’s got enough going for it that you could do a lot worse.
It’s tough to fault Bale for any shortcomings this movie has, and it has a few. He inhabits the character of Dicky Ecklund like an animal trying to shed its skin. His performance is the most physically impressive I’ve seen since Meryl Streep’s portrayal of Julia Child last year. I admit I have a few reservations about the acting, because while it’s very good, I wonder how much better it is than any other decent actor’s performance as a crackhead, a boxer, or a crackhead boxer.
Amy Adams is just about as impressive as Micky Ward’s girlfriend Charlene. She’s a pretty woman, but she allows herself to be seen from unflattering angles and doesn’t seem at all self-conscious about it. It’s true that she plays a pretty woman in the film, yet it’s a different kind of pretty from the pretty she plays in, say, Leap Year. Charlene isn’t perky or peppy or sweet. Though she’s still the prettiest girl in the neighborhood, she hasn’t taken the best care of herself and her life’s been pretty sucky. Man, what a likable actress.
I don’t know if Mark Wahlberg is going to get an Oscar nomination for his Micky Ward, but I wouldn’t have a problem with it. He does a solid job and would probably have been more impressive with a better script. I didn’t see any missteps, and he comes across as likable and conflicted.
The script doesn’t give us enough, and that’s where the film falls short. While it is entertaining, it isn’t the kind of compelling that might have put it up there with great films like Rocky. Still, I can’t think of anyone who’d dislike it. Not yoo, not yoo, and not yoo!
7/10 (IMDb rating)
71/100 (Criticker rating)
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