The Fighter

Movie: The Fighter

Cast:    Mark Wahlberg           Mickey Ward

            Christian Bale             Dicky Eklund

            Amy Adams                Charlene Fleming

            Melissa Leo                 Alice Ward

Genre: Drama

I saw it on: January 4, 2011

Synopsis: Based on a true story.  Dicky and Micky are half brothers – their mother is Alice Ward.  Dicky was once a promising boxer but is now a crack cocaine addict.  Alice and her seven daughters’ lives revolve around Dicky.  None of them seems able to admit he is an addict.  Mickey is a promising up-and-coming boxer.  His mother is his manager and Dicky is his trainer.  Their decisions put his career and life in jeopardy. Things come to a head when Dicky has a violent with the Boston Police.  Dickey ends up in prison and Mickey winds up with a broken hand.

Things start turning around for Mickey when he begins dating Charlene.  Charlene is a feisty bartender who is more than willing – and able – to stand up to Mickey’s mother and sisters when she helps him get the right people to manage and train him for his revived boxing career.  The movie follows Mickey’s skyrocketing boxing career and his efforts to include both his mother and his finally sober brother in his life along with Charlene.

My two cents: This is a great movie with some outstanding acting.  Melissa Leo was fabulous as Mickey’s mother.  Mark Wahlberg was as solid as he always is.  Amy Adams was amazing.  The scenes with her butting heads with Mickey’s mother and sisters alone are worth the price of admission.  But the one who really steals the show is Christian Bale’s portrayal of a crack-head.  He never stopped moving, his eyes were constantly darting about and the patter of mostly-meaningless drivel coming out of his mouth seemed never ending.  He made me fidgety just watching.  I think this movie has four or five potential Oscar nominations ahead of it.

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