Produced by: David Hoberman, Todd Lieberman, Ryan Kavanaugh, Mark Wahlberg, Dorothy Aufiero, and Paul Tamasy. Executive Producer: Darren Aronofsky.
Story by: Keith Dorrington, Paul Tamasy, and Eric Johnson.
Editing by: Pamela Martin.
Run time: 115 Minutes.
Year: 2010.
Budget: $25 Million.
Gross Revenue: $93, 566, 487.
I’m pretty much of the school of thought that every man likes boxing. Even if they don’t follow it, or even if they honestly believe it’s a barbaric sport that should probably be banned, every man can identify with boxing movies. If you sit a guy down in front of a boxing match, he will like it, at least subconsciously. This is not to insult women in any way, it's just that women tend to realise that boxing as a sport is brutal and pointless. Maybe it’s something to do with how men are genetically or socially wired, but all I can say for certain is that every time a boxing movie comes out I sigh and think: “Oh great, another movie featuring meat-heads needlessly beating the crap out of each other disguised as an inspirational, feel good flick”, and every time I get to the other side of the run time I’m cheering on the protagonist, wincing when he/she gets hit hard and whispering “yes” if they manage to K.O. the opponent. Happened in Rocky, and in Million Dollar Baby.
The Fighter is largely a character drama. In particular it is a family drama about two boxers that happen to be brothers; one that was famous, and one that is trying to be. The family in it is dysfunctional (hey are there ever any good families in movies?), and the main conflict in the flick revolves around whether or not Mark Wharlberg’s Micky will escape his management team, which consists of his controlling mother and drug addicted brother. There is some good drama here, with Christian Bale giving a fucking outstanding performance as Dicky, the former boxer that knocked out Sugar Ray Leonard a long time ago (or did he trip?), and has since turned to crack. Mellissa Leo is convincing as the chain smoking mother of about twenty children, who constantly belittles her husband, and definitely appears to be the ‘man’ of the house.
However, I’m still not sure what I was supposed to take away from this movie. As much as I get into boxing, I still think it’s a barbaric sport. The whole time I watched the tug-of-war between Micky’s mother/brother and the rival management team, I just kept thinking “The guy is still gonna get his arse beaten, even if he wins the match.” I guess the coda is that Micky finally made it as a professional boxer and earned millions of dollars as a result. In this sense, it’s another feel good movie: “If you put your mind to it, you can do anything.” It’s a really well shot one, but there is ultimately nothing really new here.
One element that really deserves mention is the development of Bale’s character, who goes from a drug-addict in denial to a dedicated trainer, experiencing a wonderful arc along the way. It’s quite touching to see Dicky go to his old crack-house after a stint in gaol only to refuse to take up the pipe, and then later assure his brother’s girlfriend that he just wants to help his brother be the champion that he can be. It’s kind of heart-warming. The same cannot be said for Mellisa Leo’s character, who is just basically a bitch the whole time. We never really get the sense that she has evolved as a character because she just sort of disappears in the third act. Maybe it would have been nice to wrap her character up a bit.
Three and a half stars:
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