The Fighter (2010)

I have had a screener for this sitting on my shelf for nearly three months and I finally got around to watching it. Well worth that wait. Christian Bale absolutely deserves an Oscar this year.

This is the true story of two boxers, Mickey Ward and Dicky Eklund (Mark Wahlberg and Bale). Mickey is a fighter that's up-and-coming, but also on a bit of a cold streak. His record is about even and can't seem to get the career he wants back. His half-brother Dicky once fought Sugar Ray Leonard, but now lives the life of a crackhead in a rough part of Massachusetts. Dicky is also his brother's trainer, but completely unreliable. When Mickey meets Charlene (Amy Adams), she forces him to make a decision about his brother. Mickey's family/business team is not pleased, but they can't argue that it's leading to wins. However, Mickey may not be able to leave his family behind, especially when Dicky realizes he has a problem. Where is Mickey going to take his advice from if he can't make his own decisions.

Mark Wahlberg was serviceable in this role. As with most of his work, the best acting surrounds him. Christian Bale received his first ever (shocking as it is) Oscar nomination for this role and he absolutely nailed it. There isn't enough positive praise I can give him for this. And, while Amy Adams did great, Melissa Leo just killed as the mother. Right now, she's a front-runner to win. My only real gripe with the film, and it was annoying, was the ending. Without going into detail, it's been done before and I was hoping for better. Grade: A-