The Fighter

**** 1/2      4.5 out of 5

directed by David O. Russell. Written by Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy and Eric Johnson. Running time: 114 minutes. Rated R  

“The Fighter” is based on a true story of a man and his quest to become a Boxing champion. It is the story of struggle, love and family but most importantly it is a story of two brothers, Micky Ward and Dicky Eklund.  In 1978 Dicky  fought an excellent match against Sugar Ray Leonard and lost after a unanimous decision. He ended up being called “The Pride of Lowell” thereafter. His younger brother Micky  followed in his footsteps and attempted to do  what Dicky couldn’t do.  Set in the working class town of Lowell, Massachusetts “The Fighter” chronicles their story and the story of the Ward family. The performances in this film were the highlight for me; all the actors are truly fantastic. Mark Walberg gives his best performance since “Boogie Nights”.  Amy Adams shines and gives a very confident and gritty performance. Melisa Leo plays the mother and manager of Micky and she is unapologetic and in your face, very intimidating to watch. However, the clear stand out for me was Christian Bale as Dicky. He always gives 110 percent but he doesn’t break for a second in this film and his performance is mind blowing. He is well over due for an Oscar and I think he will finally win it this year. The actors are working with an excellent scrip by Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy and Eric Johnson. The dialogue feels raw and real and the actors bring out every nuance in their delivery. Director David O Russell knows exactly how to steer them and the film. He presents us with a very different sports film then one might think. The Ward family dynamic is so good I cringed while watching them go at each other verbally and physically.  I almost felt embarrassed for them, I would shake my head in disapproval of their actions. Some great situational comedy ensues from this.  The Fighter is a dramatic character piece set against the Boxing world as its backdrop. It may star Mark Walberg with Christian Bale giving an Oscar worthy performance but the audience is the winner here. This film is dark, witty, touching and one of the best films of the year. Don’t miss it!