Film: The Fighter (David O'Russell, 2011)

There was a moment during the predictable but wholly satisfying climax of The Fighter where, during the K.O. moment, I jumped from my seat and cheered, frightening my companions sat on either side and likely irritating others in the audience. But that was the hold it had. Whilst sports movies in general stick rigidly to formula and sweeping narrative strokes irritate me at times, The Fighter, based on a true story that lends itself well to the genre's usual tropes, uses this formula to it's advantage. What we have here is something more than just the next Rocky. It's about boxing, sure, but that seems almost secondary, a grounding for an excellent and emotional character driven drama. And excellent it really is.

The stand-out here is clearly Bale, using the right amount of acting and mimicry to make Dicky Eklund the most charismatic crack addict you're likely to see in years (watch real life interviews with Eklund and you notice how close Bale is to the real thing), yet that's not to overlook both Wahlberg and Adams. The former proves here that, with a director he's comfortable with (he's worked with David O'Russell before on Three Kings and I Heart Huckabees), he can produce some of his best work. Whilst not as showy as Bale, it's understated and naturalistic enough to anchor the narrative. And Amy Adams strays very far away from her Enchanted Disney Princess to make lines such as "now go fuck yerself" sound somewhat lyrical. Her Oscar nomination is well deserved.

The Fighter holds for its duration without ever feeling sappy or forced. It's populated with real life characters played by actors at the top of their game. The drama is palpable throughout and wrings every emotion from its audience to form a movie that is immediately one of the most gratifying sports films since Million Dollar Baby. The boxing scenes, whilst terrifically done, almost seem sidelined, a testament, surely, to the power of the drama on screen.

I felt elated for the duration. A very simple story, told very, very well.

5/5