The Fighter Review.

THE FIGHTER, directed by David O. Russell, is ultimately a film about brotherhood. It’s about the family ties that bind us and the aggravation, elation and torment that go with it. It follows the true story of ‘Irish’ Mickey Ward (Mark Wahlberg) who is tired of being used by other fighters who view him as a stepping-stone to move onto bigger fights. This leads Ward to blame his lack of good matches on his boxer-turned-trainer Dicky Eklund (Christian Bale) and his mother and manager, Alice (Melissa Leo).

The pairing of Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale is surprisingly natural and they work extremely well together to portray two very different characters in a very competitive sport. Visually the pair couldn’t look further apart, with Wahlberg’s Mickey in great physical condition and Bale’s Dicky ravaged by years of drug abuse. His emaciated frame makes him look almost childlike in parts, with hollowed eyes, gaunt face and extremely ill fitting clothes. Where Mickey takes pride in his appearance, Dicky quite obviously has other things on his mind.

Though The Fighter is Mark Wahlberg’s passion project – he has been training and working on the idea for years and even lived very close to Mickey Ward in Boston – this film is ultimately Bale’s. It is arguably his best performance to date, completely believable and almost heartbreaking at points – one example of this being where he sits down to watch what he thinks is his comeback documentary, but instead is faced with a piece all about the effects of his drug addiction. His Tigger-like character jumps off the screen and gives us another chance to marvel at what a horrifically talented actor Christian Bale has become. There is one particular point in the film (don’t worry, no spoilers here!) when he walks to a crack house with a cake in his hands with barely a word. And it speaks volumes. I have every faith that he will win the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for this role; an award that I personally feel is long overdue. But, as I said, this was Wahlberg’s project and it’s a real shame that he has been left out by the Academy this year after being nominated by various other critics’ circles. Bale’s performance simply blows him off the screen.

Talking of awards buzz, Melissa Leo who plays the boys’ mother, Alice, will almost certainly walk away with the Best Supporting Actress Oscar come the 27^th. Her portrayal of a cold, calculated woman who doesn’t always seem to want the best for her boys is outstanding – it’s not often I watch a film where I actually want to hit somebody! Saying she is cold and calculated is actually an unjust and scathing statement. This film has a lot to say about family and their unfailing loyalty. But with Mickey the ‘hero’ of the film, we only see his view and the way he feels his mother’s management has hindered him.

Amy Adams (also up for Best Supporting Actress) plays Mickey’s love interest, Charlene, a feisty barmaid who is happy with her life but potentially could have gone on to bigger things. She is extremely believable as the woman Mickey is able to depend on, constantly standing up against his mother and sisters; something that he is not always able to do. These sisters don’t say a lot. And I guess this adds to the desired portrayal of the strong (Bostonian) Irish-American woman. It would have been good to hear more from them, but the Greek-chorus idea is effective and it is nigh on impossible to warm to these characters, especially after easily connecting with Adams’ Charlene. With seven women in the family, Jack McGee plays the role of their despairing father George to perfection, with a fantastic moment when he turns his truck around in the middle of the road when he sees a fight break out between Charlene and his daughters, not wanting to get involved.

Overall, The Fighter plays out as a much more mature and intelligent version of Rocky (yes, the first one). It’s unoriginal, being both a biopic and a boxing movie, but has a lot of heart and it is easy as the audience to form a very strong love or hate relationship with each respective character. The story is solid, easy to follow and, although it focuses on boxing, the sport does not dominate the film. You really feel you are following Mickey’s comeback and egging him on the whole way – definitely emphasising how Wahlberg’s subtle performance is very underrated.

Christian Bale said that he could only play Dicky that big because Mark Wahlberg played Mickey that small and I think, ultimately, that is why the film works so well as it has such a wonderful chemistry between its two leading men. Even though Wahlberg wasn’t nominated this time around, we all know he’ll be the one championing Bale all the way on to that winner’s podium on the 27^th.

4/5.