The Fighter (2010)

If it's not already obvious, since a couple of weeks I started writing about movies that in theory should have some potential in this year's Oscar nominations. More exactly I try to optimize the usual time for one movie watched/week allocated ratio ( well .. this week I doubled it :) ) in order to cover more until the end of next month. The idea is that every year during this time, after the Academy Awards nominations are announced I'm trying to write as many entries as I can (depending also on what I've seen) related with the categories. And unlike last year, the current one I actually have enough reasons, given the level difference between the movies from 2010 and the ones released in 2009. So to make it short, today I've chosen "The Fighter" which already got two Globes for actors.

What can I say. The reasons for I've watched the movie are actually one and it is the one above - potential nominations + the grade on IMDb. I wasn't expecting to see any masterpiece and I can say from start that I didn't. The film is not weak, but ... Let's think a bit to 2004 (to be gentle .. I might get even more back in time). What was the most successful title considering the awards? "Million Dollar Baby" - four Oscars. In 2005 we continue the line of boxing stories - "Cinderella Man" (which I really liked a lot at that time). 2006 - "Rocky Balboa" (aka Reloaded aka Rocky VI aka Yet Another Box Story). 2008 - "The Wrestler" (okay, okay, taking a break from boxing .. but not too far). In 2007 and 2009 I don't remember any major title (but I can't resist not to say two from before 2004 - "Hurricane" and "Ali"). All the films mentioned are ok. None of them is exceptional, but more than that - many might actually be quite overrated I might say. I think that the problem is obvious. It seems that Americans have an acute preference for boxers dramas (+ a wrestler) ended more or less happy, and adapted more or less from real facts. So acute that two years can't pass without a title that brings enough money to continue the line. Well, we have different stories, but the summary is the same - "Life is hard, you have to fight (literally) to get through it" and for me that line it's already old and overused...

"The Fighter" is no exception. It is based on a real case about a guy who managed to win a world title on the junior welterweight in 2000. It wasn't even a very important title - WBU version. There are four major versions of which I know for world champion = WBA, WBO, IBF and WBC - that's for not thinking that I have something against boxing (from time to time I'm watching a match). Obviously winning that it's not the main idea of the movie but a pretext for the story of an Irishman from a poor neighborhood, with a brother addicted to drugs, family problems and everything. The classic "going down and struggle to come to light somewhere". Nothing wrong here, but ... As I said, it's too often put on the screen, and in the same context of a boxing/fighter story.

Leaving aside the subject, I think the main attraction of the film is the cast. Mark Wahlberg has the title role, but the landscape is generally stolen by Christian Bale in a part that is probably better than all of the Batmans he acted in or will act from now on. Clear and indisputable this is the best role of his career (and yes, I've seen "The Machinist" he is better than there). The distribution is completed by Amy Adams and Melissa Leo (who has already taken a Globe for the role). Besides casting what can I say ... Directing probably worth mentioning for it doesn't let you fall asleep. I don't know what else to point out, perhaps after the Oscar nominations are announced I may have a revelation for what I've missed (though I don't really think so) ...

The movie is watchable after all, with all the feeling of a reheated soup it has. It doesn't need to like boxing, you just must be in the mood for a good life drama - which you'll actually see. The problem is that it's highly probable that you've already seen it before ...

Rating: 3 out of 5