The Fighter

The Fighter is one of those films that didn't dazzle me until the second half, which is always the more important half for me. The beginning was just bland, but, like I said, the second half was better, especially the last fight. Christian Bale (whom I'll probably never come to like) played his role quite well, and from the female cast I have to single out Amy Adams and Melissa Leo. In short, it's not up for a Best Picture Oscar, no question about that, but the Bald Man would be a good fit in the hands of any of the actors (3 chances). (22/02/2011)

It's just a bit above-par, but O.Russell quite handles the responsibility in the end. Perhaps a little more was expected from this film, just considering how diligently the actors prepared for their roles – anyone who expects miracles from everything should cool down quickly. Fighter has its strength and quality, not like Million Dollar Baby or Wrestler, but as a drama based on a true story, it's top-notch in terms of direction and especially the psychology of the characters. And the flaws are compensated by both the excellent Wahlberg, who really wrung his teeth and showed himself in the best possible light, and especially by the skinny Bale, whose performances are more impressive every year. A film that will probably be quickly forgotten, but that will certainly deserve a little reminder now and then... (01/02/2013)

Freed from unnecessary pathos and sentiment, a boxing drama the likes of which we haven't seen for a long time. Above all, the central duo delivers an excellent performance. Christian Bale once again shows what he is capable of doing for his role; he lost a good 20 kilograms since Batman, and his emaciated, drug-addicted ex-boxer character is very well played. In some dialogues, the film has a very dramatic storyline, which makes it surprisingly gripping at times. The fights are by far not the only thing keeping film afloat, there are a few of them, and they are not worth mentioning much. I understand the Oscar nominations, after all, statues have always been awarded for boxing (why not tackle it). Much faster and smarter than I expected, Cinderella Man is an absolute lightweight compared to this. (21/02/2011)

In crack fumes and in the smell of peroxide on boxing Olympus. The sympathetic, if inconsistent, synthesis of the Royck genre film with family-social drama, which has little idea which side to be on more, and thereby prefers to do the sure thing. Thanks to Bale and a very juicy finale, sympathy wins above all, although the question of why Aronofsky reached for a more effective grease from Tchaikovsky continues to bother me. The Fighter is simply a more modest and sympathetic substance. And not just because it's got balls. (22/02/2011)

The strongest response that The Fighter managed to get out of me was curiosity at whether Bale will get the Oscar for his secondary role as the skinny, drug-addicted brother/coach. I hope he does, because, although the film as a whole felt like classic award bait, Bale’s performance is the only thing that stands out among all the cynicism and it impressed me (something the cynicism from recent years, like Invictus or Milk, didn’t manage). Otherwise, it’s an ordinary story about how an unremarkable “loser” goes all the way to the top, though I didn’t get the feeling that Micky Ward made any extraordinary effort for that. The Fighter is not a bad film, but my sympathies lie elsewhere. 6/10 (11/01/2011)