The Fighter

In our continuing effort to review all the movies nominated for a Best Picture Oscar in 2011, Matt and I are tackling The Fighter. I was so excited to see this movie that I got it as soon as it came out on DVD. Watching this movie makes you wonder when Mark Wahlberg morphed from Marky Mark to one of the most talented actors of his generation.

In The Fighter we are introduced to two boxing brothers, Dicky (Christian Bale) and Micky (Mark Wahlberg). Originally, Dicky had shown lots of promise as a fighter and had made his way into some very notable fights, but over the years he has slid into the world of drug abuse. He coaches his brother who is an adequate boxer, but certainly not the star Dicky was. Unfortunately, Dicky spends more time getting high than he does helping his brother and a strain develops between the two of them.

Micky is managed by his mother (Melissa Leo) who is a crass and hard woman. Often times she fails to look out for her son’s best interests while she attempts to support the family from the purses he wins in the ring. Most of Micky’s adult siblings still live at home and it is unclear if they have jobs of their own. It appears that Micky carries the weight of his entire family on his shoulders.

Micky’s whole world changes when he falls in love with Charlene (Amy Adams). Charlene convinces Micky to think about himself for the first time in his life. He hires new trainers and management and his career begins to take off. However, his family doesn’t celebrate his success; his new independence throws this dysfunctional family into turmoil. In the end, Micky is about to take care of himself and still be close to his family.

The Fighter gets a solid four and a half stars. The acting is impeccable, Christian Bale and Melissa Leo both won Best Supporting Actor/Actress awards for their roles and Amy Adams was nominated for Best Supporting Actress. Mark Wahlberg should have been nominated because his performance was great. In addition to the acting, the script is well done and the pace is sharp and focused. The Fighter is a great movie and well worth watching.

Michelle D. Kieffaber