The Fighter

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We finally caught this movie over the weekend.  Wow – great movie!  It’s a little on the dark side though. 

Basically, we meet Micky and Dicky Ward.  Micky is played by Mark Wahlberg, an up and coming fighter, although he is getting a little old for this profession.  And Dicky is played by Christian Bale, who is supposed to be Micky’s trainer.   This movie is based on the true story of these brothers.

Dicky is a has-been boxer that once had a fight with Sugar Ray Leonard.  It’s his one claim to fame.  He talks about it nearly constantly too.  There is some disagreement as to whether Dicky knocked him down or if Sugar Ray tripped.  Dicky is a crack addict that is completely caught up in his own legend.  Christian Bale completely transforms himself – again – for a movie.  He’s skinny and plays the role all-in.  He did a great job in this role.

Their mother, Alice played by Melissa Leo, functions as Micky’s manager.  She is completely focused on Dicky, though, even though Micky is supposed to be getting his title shot.  The fights she arranges for Micky are just unacceptable.  It is really shocking that she is ok putting him in the ring against some of those opponents.  Alice is a complicated woman.  She is absolutely confident that she knows what is best for her kids and she expects complete obedience.  Yet – it doesn’t seem to go her way very often when all is said and done.

Micky’s girlfriend, Charlene played by Amy Adams, is the best thing that ever happened to him.  She manages to loosen the death grip his family has on him and turns the tide with regard to how they pull him down.  I have to say that I absolutely loved it when Amy and Micky’s 7 sisters got into a fist-fight.  Wow!  Crazy stuff!  I loved how Charlene stood up to the whole family and had no issues taking them all on for Micky’s good from the moment she became Micky’s girlfriend.  It’s a good thing she was a strong woman!

The family dynamic is so dysfunctional.  It just boggles the mind!  Alice had 9 kids!!!  Yikes!  The other 7 are all girls.  Just looking at all their big hair brought back memories of the 80’s.  Man!  Those were not good years for fashion or hairstyles, just saying.  =p 

The scene where Dicky is resisting arrest and Micky gets sucked in is just.so.shocking.  I just can’t believe that it happened.  Also, the fact that Dicky thinks that the HBO crew following him around to film his ‘comeback’ even though they keep telling him that it’s a documentary on the realities of crack addition is just so very sad!

I have to say that Christian and Melissa deserved their Academy Awards, in my opinion.  I’m a little disappointed that this film didn’t take Best Picture.  I think it deserved the award.

If you haven’t seen The Fighter yet, you should make time for it.  It’s not often I recommend a dark movie but this one is worth your time.