The Fighter

★★★★

(2010)

David O Russell breaks his idiosyncratic style with this by the numbers but (kinda) great addition to the stalwart genre of the boxing film. He follows the well trodden rules and falls into every trap possible but handles the overall feel good piece with a simple duck and weave and some deft direction.

We follow the true life career of Mickey Ward (a solid Mark Walberg) and his brother Dicky Eklund (an unhinged and intense Christian Bale) as they struggle in the ring and with the crack pipe respectively. Mickey has the passion but its the intensity of his brother and the friction within his family that push him.

It’s when Mickey meets the tough as nails barmaid Charlene (Amy Adams) and Dicky is Jailed that the relationship with his mother and manager (A brilliant Melissa Leo) and the old “one last shot at the title” story line take a front seat in The Fighter.

It’s Rocky like clichés are often painfully twee but are measured and slight when most important. Christian Bale is the main draw as Dicky and works to great effect aside Walberg’s focused, straight shooting and almost career best performance. The real shock however is Russell’s change of style (stepping in so that Darren Aranofksy could go crazy at the ballet) in delivering a worthy sports film that entertains the mainstream and doesn’t leave too sour a taste in the mouth of those who like a bit more.