THE FIGHTER (2010)

Every dream deserves a fighting chance.

GENRE

Biography/Drama/Sport

STORYLINE

A look at the early years of boxer "Irish" Micky Ward and his brother who helped train him before going pro in the mid 1980s.

DIRECTOR

David O Russell

CAST

Mark Wahlberg

Christian Bale

Melissa Leo

Amy Adams

MY REVIEW

Based on a true story,this movie is about boxer 'Irish' Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg)and his crack-cocaine addicted elder brother Dicky Ward (Christian Bale) who also happens to be his trainer.Dicky had been a boxer earlier whose peak of success was knocking down Sugar Ray Leonard.Melissa Leo plays their mother,Alice Ward who also happens to be the manager of Micky's boxing career.Both Dicky and Alice are not the kind of supporters that  Micky's career needs and their lack of dedication leads to Micky getting beaten in most of his fights.Also there is this HBO crew in this movie which according to Dicky is making a movie on his 'comeback' but in reality the HBO movie is about his downfall due to addiction to cocaine.This movie is about how the HBO movie changes Dicky and how he finally trains Micky and helps him win the world light welterweight title.

This movie is not just another boxing movie,its a lot more than that.It is more of Drama film that deals with the realization that dawns on Dicky when he sees himself in the HBO movie.Charlene Fleming (Amy Adams) plays Micky's love interest in the film.She is shown as a realistic and sensible person who wants Micky to leave the two idiots(Dicky and Alice).Micky is quite loyal to his family and it is his love for his family that prevents him from leaving his brother and mother.

A word on the performances.Christian Bale and Melissa Leo stand out in this film.Bale is one of the most versatile actors in Hollywood right now.It is as if he can lose or gain weight at will.He looks as starved as ever in this film and truly looks like an addict.This is the first time I have seen Melissa Leo's work and I must say she is extremely talented.Playing a mother who uses profanity at will is a tough job and she is just perfected this role.Mark Wahlberg as the loyal Micky and Amy Adams as his girlfriend have also done quite well.

The sets/locations of this film have been perfectly chosen.Don't consider this movie as just any other boxing movie,watch it for the well written and directed drama and the excellent performance by the actors/actresses.

Also there is talk about a possible sequal dealing with Micky Ward's three iconic fights with boxer Arturo Gatti which many boxing enthusiasts felt was left out in this movie. If that sequal is ever made,I would definitely watch it .

MY RATING 9.5/10

TRAILER