THE FIGHTER (R)
Starring Mark Wahlber, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, and Melissa Leo
Released by Paramount Pictures

While The Fighter certainly has underdog sports film undertones, this movie plays more as a domestic drama. Putting it in to perspective, its somewhere in between the rousing stylings of Rocky and the intimate and tragic drama of Raging Bull. Given that the film was directed by David O. Russell, it should come as no surprise that The Fighter puts an emphasis on characters and relationships. What is rather surprising is that this movie isn't as offbeat as some of Russell's previous works (I Heart Huckabees, Flirting With Disaster, etc.). Its edgy and hard hitting, but Russell is fairly straight forward in terms of his approach to the material. At the heart of this true story is Mark Wahlberg's Micky Ward, a boxer with big time aspirations who can't seem to catch a break because he's always being dragged down by his domineering mother (played by a solid Melissa Leo) and crack addicted brother (an unforgettable Christian Bale). Things start to look up however, when the new girl in Mickey's life (played by a feisty Amy Adams) takes a stand for her man. The Fighter starts off strong perfectly capturing the feel of its gritty Boston locale. The characters are well played and well defined, and I found myself glued to the screen. Where The Fighter really falters is in the boxing sequences, most notably the final fight. I understand that this is really a story about Mickey's fight outside the ring. His struggle to make a move and keep his dysfunctional family together at the same time. But if that's the focal point, why show the boxing matches at all. I think I would have enjoyed the movie more had the slight boxing matches been omitted all together. Still, its hard to deny the power of the performances here. Bale in particular delivers a career defining turn as a man who can't seem to get out from under the shadow of his former self, and the choice he makes at the end of the picture totally surprised me. The Fighter is solid entertainment.

Grade: B+