The Fighter

I went in to this film hoping for something amazing.  To be completely honest, I was disappointed.

This film is about the life of a real boxer named Mickey Ward (played by Mark Wahlberg) as he trains with his brother (Christian Bale) to compete in boxing.  Keeping in mind that it is based on true events and real people, here is what I thought. 

First and foremost, this two hour film felt more like three, extending beyond its plot capabilities.  I felt as though the film was not about the boxer but about the loud, frustrating and obnoxious family that tries to take control of his life, his earnings and his overall career.  Mickey takes all the ridiculousness that comes along with that, keeping a solemn and calm surface.  He barely stands up for himself, and let's his girlfriend (Amy Adams) do it for him.  Personally, this drove me crazy.  I understand the character is based on a real person and maybe that is how this person is, but for a movie, it gave no opportunity to act for Wahlberg.  I felt little personality from him, therefore, giving me little to connect with and completely taking away my sympathy for his character.

The real hero of the film, in my opinion, was Christian Bale playing Mickey's older brother Dicky.  The transformation he went through to play this role was truly inspiring.  His role includes a washed up boxer that lives on the memory of his glory days, while being addicted to crack.  Bale, therefore, had to change his appearance physically in order to get the dysfunction across.  He played the character very convincingly, finally drawing you in until the focus moves back regrettably to Wahlberg.

The in-your-face family lived up to their title.  I felt the urge to scream back at them throughout various points in the film and understood the frustration coming from Amy Adams' character.  The mother, played by Melissa Leo, gets a thumbs up.  She never failed to annoy me with her controlling and in denial character.  Since that was her purpose, she did it wonderfully.  However, when Mickey does talk back to his family, Wahlberg never truly let's himself go.  This took me out of the film immediately.  I could feel Wahlberg holding himself back, as if somehow it would take away from the story, when in fact, it's what the story needed.  It needed some heart, especially from its main character.

Ultimately, this film had good actors in it, a good supporting cast, but a weak male lead.  This project was too hefty for Wahlberg to take on.

For the overall effect, The Fighter gets a 7/10 for never giving up on its weak link.