The Fighter

The strongest response that The Fighter managed to get out of me was curiosity at whether Bale will get the Oscar for his secondary role as the skinny, drug-addicted brother/coach. I hope he does, because, although the film as a whole felt like classic award bait, Bale’s performance is the only thing that stands out among all the cynicism and it impressed me (something the cynicism from recent years, like Invictus or Milk, didn’t manage). Otherwise, it’s an ordinary story about how an unremarkable “loser” goes all the way to the top, though I didn’t get the feeling that Micky Ward made any extraordinary effort for that. The Fighter is not a bad film, but my sympathies lie elsewhere. 6/10 (11/01/2011)

A decent boxing movie starring Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale. I'm actually surprised I didn't get it sooner. It's mostly a drama about two brothers who have family problems and one of them is addicted to crack, but when Wahlberg gets in the ring, it's mostly something to watch. The final fight in particular was excellent. I enjoyed it, but it lacked the emotional impact to make a full count. There have been better pieces, but this one certainly doesn't fall short. 80%. (30/08/2018)

A family drama (in the sense of a “drama about a family” rather than a “drama for the whole family”) that is pulled out of mediocrity only by the excellent Christian Bale (in a role similar to the one he played in Harsh Times). Fighter is a psychologically believable and, in terms of acting, focused film that doesn’t bring anything new to the genre of intimate relationship movies and doesn’t offer any moments of a more dramatic nature. Mark Wahlberg’s role suits him due to his real-life background, but the film rather needed a real actor in the mold of Bale for that role. (28/11/2011)

This is not so much a film about boxing and the hardships this sport brings (that's why comparisons with Rocky, Raging Bull, etc. are unwarranted), but mainly a social drama about a crazy family, a domineering mother-manager and two brothers who are completely different in character, all with riveting performances by almost everyone involved. While Wahlberg, with his unchanging poker player expression, hits his acting limits here, the anorexic Bale clearly reigns supreme and whenever he's on screen you can't take your eyes off him. There is such a believable and intimate atmosphere permeating the whole film, that you have no problem empathising with the action and watching it all in one breath. The only thing separating this film from a maximum rating is the fact that the plot meanders through predictable twists and turns, but otherwise it’s undoubtedly one of the films of the year and the Oscar nominations are well deserved. (27/02/2011)

Bale turned his supporting role into the main role. Marky Mark plays the dime-a-dozen boxer that this story revolves around, but Bale enjoys playing Dicky to the very full, while not forgetting to respect him as a person. Great swathes of this movie rely on him alone and some moments are memorable only due to him. David O. Russell is another ace up the Fighter’s sleeve and drives the movie forward. The final fight is precisely balanced, the family wrangling disappears in the abyss of time and the actors help overcome some of the clichéd passages. (05/03/2011)