THE FIGHTER Review (4 out of 5 stars)

Inspiring, funny and boasting outstanding performances.
 
THE FIGHTER is, surprisingly to me, a great movie – I normally don’t expect much of Mark Wahlberg since his atrocious performance in 2008’s THE HAPPENING, but he’s adequate enough here so as not to distract. The real stars of the show are its supporting cast: Christian Bale is incredible as Dicky, Melissa Leo astounds (as always) as tough matriarch Alice Ward, and Amy Adams is very good as the no-nonsense girlfriend who inspires Micky to finally break his losing patterns. THE FIGHTER also greatly inspires - it aims to be the next ROCKY and actually comes close. The film shows enough heart and inventiveness that it’s now one of my favorite films of the Oscar season. 

Dicky is blue-collar Lowell, Massachusetts’ former boxing champ, having long ago fought Sugar Ray Leonard in the ring. But his boxing days are now over, replaced by drug addiction and a life of petty crime. He trains his younger half-brother Micky (Wahlberg), the town and family's new hope despite a losing streak and his advancing age for a fighter. Their hardscrabble mother Alice (Leo) manages Micky’s flailing fighting career until new girlfriend Charlene (Adams), convinces Micky to drop his family’s professional involvement in his career and go on his own. After doing so, Micky’s record takes a dramatic upturn, and he must ultimately decide whether to allow his newly rebounded brother and the rest of his dysfunctional family into training for the fight of his life, the World Championships. 

This is an impressive cast, down to the smallest of characters, all so gritty, flawed, and complex: the red-faced Jack McGee as Micky’s father, Mickey O’Keefe (playing himself) as the town’s police sargent and Micky’s part-time trainer, and Micky’s hilariously obtuse sisters, among them “Tar,” “Beaver,” “Pork,” “Red Dog” and yes, many more. Their crazy hairstyles alone should get an award. Your heart latches on all of these individuals because you somehow know and recognize them – it’s real life translated perfectly to the screen. David O. Russell should be proud. Heck, he should be proud for simply creating a boxer movie that stands out in such a long line of them. And for making someone who utterly detests boxing and boxing movies sit up straight and pay beady-eyed attention. (Tisk-tisk for using a poster so similar to THE WRESTLER’s. Interestingly enough thought, that film’s director, Darren Aronofsky, served as an executive producer on this film.)

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