The Fighter (2010)

It seems like every generation gets that one boxing movie that leaves a mark, and becomes an instant classic. The Fighter is one of those movies. It's inspirational. It's gritty. It's dramatic. It's also a true story.


The film takes places in Lowell, Massachusetts, and follows half brothers "Irish" Mickey Ward (Mark Wahlberg) , and Dicky Eklund (Christian Bale). Dicky is a former boxer, and local hero, whose addiction to crack cocaine is the focus of an HBO documentary being filmed throughout scenes in the movie. Younger brother Mickey is training with Dicky, to begin his professional boxing career. Always under his brother's shadow, Mickey is held back by Dicky's addiction, and a mother/manager who can't see past her elder son's former glory, to recognize his true potential.


In all fairness, this isn't a boxing movie. It's much more than that. Mickey's battles outside the ring far outweigh the physical abuse he endures inside it. The real challenge for Mickey is his family.


Things begin looking up for Mickey when he meets, and falls for Charlene (Amy Adams), a no-nonsense bartender who doesn't back down to his family, and gives him the confidence he needs to take control of his life.


This is a phenomenal movie. The cast was perfect. Christian Bale gives the best performance of his career, and should walk away with the Best Supporting Actor award for this. He has an uncanny ability to become a character so well, that you really forget there's an actor on screen. He's so good in this movie, that he unfortunately makes Wahlberg's understated performance feel more underwhelming. Don't get me wrong. Wahlberg is perfectly cast as Ward, and he handles the physical aspects of the film exceptionally. Bale is just a better actor. Amy Adams gets points for going against type to play the sexy Charlene, and does a great job. She's surprisingly believable in the role.


I highly recommend The Fighter to anyone who wants to see an inspirational movie, about overcoming adversity, without ever feeling preachy, or overly sentimental. 


This is one of my top picks for Best Picture.


Rated R, Runtime 115mns