Director: David O’ Russell
Biography – Drama – Sport
Cast:
Mark Wahlberg * Christian Bale * Amy Adams * Melissa Leo *
I was biased at the start because I am not a fan of the leads, but I have to say that I did enjoy it.
The film is based on the true life story of Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg), a former boxing stepping stone trying to make a legitimate break in the boxing world, with his older, drug addicted half- brother, Dicky (Christian Bale) who both helps and hinders him along the way.
I can totally understand why Christian Bale received an Academy Award for his performance. his performance was a sight to behold as Dicky Eklund.
Micky engages in a relationship with Charlene (Amy Adams). His family are vehemently against it (his mother and six sisters!), and over time their partnership endures. I enjoyed this raw performance from Amy Adams, a role that propelled her into meatier and dramatic roles later in her career after playing many comedic and ingenue roles.
While I can appreciate that sports drama isn’t really my cup of tea, it was more appreciated for the time taken to develop the characters as people, with real problems.
The scene when Dicky (in prison) is boasting about the documentary that he is involved in, thinking that it would discuss his former boxing glory was heart-breaking, because all that it did was highlight his fall from grace and society, all the while knowing that his little boy would be watching it too.
I found it to be like a slice of life film with its realism. Not one to return to, but appreciated it.
8/10
Ronin Cinema 