The true story of the rise of boxer Micky Ward, who trained
with his drug-addicted brother to become a force to be reckoned. BIOPIC/DRAMA/SPORT
|
The Fighter (2010)Directed by David O. Russell
Written by Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy, Eric Johnson Starring Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Melissa Leo, Jack McGee, Mickey O'Keefe Oscar Wins - Best Supporting Actor (Christian Bale), Best Supporting Actress (Melissa Leo) Oscar Nominations - Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress (Amy Adams), Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing |
The Fighter is a great performance piece that tells the story of boxer Micky Ward, a talented athlete held back by his selfish, controlling mother and his drug-addicted brother. While the film is made up of a typical biopic formula, it remains a dramatic tale of perseverance and contains some truly incredible performances by some of Hollywood's most talented actors.
Clearly, the showstealer is Christian Bale, who once again uses his chameleon-like ability to adapt to a role in order to become Dicky Eklund. Dicky is Micky's crack-addicted trainer and brother who means well, but is unable to see that he's holding his brother back. Bale gives an amazing performance that won him a well-deserved Oscar. Mark Wahlberg plays Micky himself, delivering a good performance that is pretty much overshadowed by the supporting cast. Both Amy Adams and Melissa Leo were fantastic, playing selfish women in Micky's life who failed to realize that they were pretty much the same person who were both vying for his attention. Overall, The Fighter is a great sports drama that deals with Micky Ward's struggles to do right by his family and win his shot at the big time. It's the immensely talented cast that makes this film worth viewing, and the strong direction from David O. Russell helps mold this into a memorable biopic that is more about family than it is about boxing. |