'The Fighter' Reviewed by Simon Howard

The Fighter (15) 115 mins

Director: David O. Russell

Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Melissa Leo

Rating: ***** (5 stars)

By Simon Howard

Based upon the true story of Irish fighter Micky Ward’s unlikely road to the world light-welterweight title, this double-Oscar winning film is both inspiring and harrowing in equal amounts. The film is about an underdog finally getting his break but also about addiction, and how it affects the people around them. Set in early 90’s America, the film revolves around a dysfunctional family being drawn together by an against-the-odds boxing triumph.


Set in the run-down town of Lowell, Massachusetts, we discover Micky Ward’s boxing career has stalled after early success. He is divorced with limited access to his child, and is now being used as a stepping stone for other boxers on their way to the top. But if his case is bad, it’s nothing compared to his half-brother Dicky. This womanising, drunken crack-head goes around calling himself the ‘Pride of Lowell’, and can do no wrong in his mother’s eyes. Melissa Leo plays Alice, a domineering woman who convinces her sons that they owe everything to her management. She won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress and is enthralling as the delusional mother trying to keep her family together. What becomes clear very early on is that Micky’s brother and mother are huge stumbling blocks preventing his career from progressing.


Mark Wahlberg began training for the role of Micky four years before filming eventually began. In the impressive boxing scenes it becomes clear that all his hard work has paid off; they are some of the most believable sporting scenes in movie history. His role is perhaps the most complex of all, as he battles with his unbreakable devotion to his family and his ambition to be a success in the ring. He is vulnerable and suffers rather than upsetting the people around him to get what he wants, until he grows with the help of a woman by his side.


That woman is Amy Adams, who plays a crucial role as Micky’s girlfriend Charlene in making him stand up for himself and find out what he really wants from his misguided life. She’s a spirited woman who gives as good as she gets.


Christian Bale is the real star of the show as Micky’s half-brother Dickie Eklund, a drug addict who had previously been a boxer himself. His claim to fame is that he knocked down Sugar Ray Leonard (a fact which he doesn’t allow us to forget). Dicky is so detached from the real picture of what is going on, and is oblivious to the damage his addiction is doing to his life (he has a film crew following him making a documentary on drug addiction but believes it is about his boxing comeback), that it takes the audience through a whole range of emotions. Despite this he is a warm and energetic character, one who you can understand Micky sticking with despite all his problems. This is Bale at his finest, and he undoubtedly deserved the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor- it is a performance which will live long in the memory.


Perhaps what makes the film resonate so strongly with audiences is the fact that nobody in the film is painted in an entirely positive light. Nobody is perfect and everybody has their faults. The film has a lot of heart, and can be quite funny at times. All the actors are on top form and captivate with their performances. Yes, the ending is predictable, but for a boxing film this is perhaps as good as it gets. Ultimately, it packs a real punch.