The Fighter

It's just a bit above-par, but O.Russell quite handles the responsibility in the end. Perhaps a little more was expected from this film, just considering how diligently the actors prepared for their roles – anyone who expects miracles from everything should cool down quickly. Fighter has its strength and quality, not like Million Dollar Baby or Wrestler, but as a drama based on a true story, it's top-notch in terms of direction and especially the psychology of the characters. And the flaws are compensated by both the excellent Wahlberg, who really wrung his teeth and showed himself in the best possible light, and especially by the skinny Bale, whose performances are more impressive every year. A film that will probably be quickly forgotten, but that will certainly deserve a little reminder now and then... (31/01/2013)

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)

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)

In crack fumes and in the smell of peroxide on boxing Olympus. The sympathetic, if inconsistent, synthesis of the Royck genre film with family-social drama, which has little idea which side to be on more, and thereby prefers to do the sure thing. Thanks to Bale and a very juicy finale, sympathy wins above all, although the question of why Aronofsky reached for a more effective grease from Tchaikovsky continues to bother me. The Fighter is simply a more modest and sympathetic substance. And not just because it's got balls. (21/02/2011)

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)