The Fighter Review

• 14th Jun 2011

Marky Mark takes to the ring in this well received drama about an underdog. A boxing film about an underdog? Sounds familiar sure, but let the comparisons end right there. The Fighter offers a unique family perspective on this true life story of boxing champion Micky Ward.

The story focuses on Micky’s attempts to train with a clear head, all the while being held back by family commitments lead by his headstrong and possessive mother (Melissa Leo) and his former champ half brother Dicky Edlund (Christian Bale). It’s interesting to note that both these roles won the actors supporting Academy Awards. It isn’t hard to notice the roles though. Leo embellishes the role of the controlling mother all too well, but it’s Bale who takes the highest honours with a truly mesmerising performance as the strung out junkie has-been.

Wahlberg is on quieter form in this role and does carry the picture as we watch Mickey get torn between those with their own interests at heart and those who feel the need for him to cut loose from the family threads that threaten to ruin his chances.

While the film is directed well enough and bounces around from docudrama to the live fight type of camera work, it’s surprising what the Academy found so great about David O’Russell’s direction to have nominated him this year, while excluding the likes of Christopher Nolan. And the fight scenes themselves are all fairly underwhelming if you’re expecting Hollywood action. In some instances you wonder what it is that’s so good about Ward as a fighter. He seems to spend 90% of his fights blocking his face and taking the punches that sound the loudest only to lay a few well placed hits that win him a fight.

There’s been talk of a sequel to chart Ward’s further matches. Unless there’s more important drama to chart in the family at this time, it seems like a redundant idea. But with these players on hand it would be worth the time on screen.

Steven Hurst