The Fighter

Boxing films can either be really shit or really good. The reason being that most of the time we know what's going to happen. The last fight is always the main geezer getting absolutely battered then boom! out of nowhere he gets a sudden burst of energy and gives the killer blows. But, The Fighter is different for me. I mean firstly i'd never heard of Mickey Ward (Mark Wahlberg) or his brother for that matter, so i suppose that would help in that i don't know his story. But the story itself is better told than most other boxing films. Christian Bale plays Mickey's brother/trainer who has a crack addiction, and i'd put money on him winning the oscar  for best supporting actor. Mickey's boxing career is not so hunky dory to start and we can see it's not just because of his brothers addiction. His mother, played very well by Melissa Leo, is his manager and completely controlling. She tries to navigate his entire career and leads him into nothing but failure. Only when he meets his new squeeze Charlene (Amy Adams) are his eyes opened to this fact.
Although Christian Bale's performance as Dicky Ecklund is the one that stands out most in the film, Mark Wahlberg does an exceptional job as lead man. I felt that the story flowed well and this allowed me to connect with characters easily. Definitely a must see film for 2011. 5 stars.