Boxing movies have a special place in the American pantheon of film. There's something about the dedication, the training, the strength of will and the determination of the pugilist that makes boxing a perfect metaphor for so much of what defines us as a culture. "Irish" Micky Ward was a popular champion in the late 90's and early 2000s, a working class hero of sorts who spoke to many. This fllm purports to tell the story of a fighter whose once promising career derailed by misfortune, bad luck and bad advice, and ultimately was rediscovered through adversity to rise to the very top of his sport. While there are some inaccuracies and artistic liberties taken with actual events, the finished product is a compelling story of a family, time and place whose lessons of determination, redemption and triumph resonate loudly today - when so many places and families struggle with the very challenges facing Lowell, Mass and the Wards/Eklunds. This has been a passion project of Mark Wahlberg's (a native of the Boston area) for years, and has seen Darren Aronofsky come and go, Brad Pitt come and go, and the project pick up and die several times. In steps David O. Russell (Three Kings, I Heart Huckabees) and the insane method actor who is Christian Bale (you know damn well who he is), and they deliver one of the great sports movies of recent memory. Indeed, Sports Illustrated recently named "The Fighter" as "Sports Movie of the Decade", high praise indeed from the most respected sports publication around. The year is 1993. Boxer/road crew worker and local semi-celebrity "Irish" Micky Ward (Wahlberg) is a boxer who's career is at a crossroads. After a promising start, he's lost his last few fights, and is facing a hand-picked opponent in an effort to turn his career around and avoid the "stepping stone" label. A native son of Lowell, Mass, once the birthplace of the American industrial revolution and now a post-industrial wasteland of drugs, petty crime and housing projects, Ward is managed by his overbearing and larger than life mother, Alice and trained by his half-brother, Dickie Eklund (Bale), who had a title fight against Sugar Ray Leonard in 1978 and has spent the last 15 years basking in the quasi-celebrity that resulted for all it's worth. Dickie, who's seen by his family as a legend, has spent his time wallowing in the depths and darkness of drug addiction instead of training his brother. Completely overshadowed by the insanity that is his family (he's the youngest of 9 kids, and one of only two boys), Ward is quiet and contemplative, resigned to his fate despite the often negative effect it may have on his career and livelihood. Things get worse before they get better, but Micky meets and falls in love with a local bartender and former athlete (a great Amy Adams) who, along with a new trainer and manager, help return the focus to boxing. Ultimately, this is a redemption tale. Redeeming a legacy, a career, a family and really, a life.
It's impossible to praise this movie without praising the performances. It's no secret that this blog is a HUGE Chris Bale fan, and he's never been better than he is as the charming, infuriating and rambunctious Dicky Eklund, a guy who dominates every room and has managed to completely recreate his own life and legacy through a web of delusions of grandeur. Bale will break your heart and ultimately bring you back from the brink, he's that good. He truly steals every single scene he's in, just as the real-life Dicky would have. Emaciated and squirrelly, Bale once again recreates himself physically to play a man who lost himself in the devastating web of drug addiction. Right behind Bale though is Amy Adams, who completely surprised me as the tough, determined, wise beyond her years Charlene, local sexpot and ultimate girlfriend of Micky. Adams believably brings to life a smart, fiery woman who impacts our protagonist greatly. The rest of the supporting cast is great, at times too believable as the lower-class cast of characters populating Lowell. Wahlberg pales next to Bale, but I'm pretty sure the real Micky Ward pales next to the dominating personality that is his brother Dicky. Wahlberg plays Ward with a quiet frustration, a man who feels trapped by his circumstances but who is too loyal to turn his back on his family.
This is a film that paints a picture of a time and place. Lowell, Mass in the mid to late 90's and a family who left their mark, both good and bad. This film is about boxing, sure, but it's about family, about post-industrial America, and ultimately, about redemption. Bale gives a truly unforgettable performance. There are flaws, mostly with the direction. 1.) It is impossible to tell what the time period is. Does the film cover 1 year? 10 years? Also, the boxing montage of Micky's comeback looked cheap. 2.) I take issue with the use of music. 4 or 5 times throughout the film a song plays nearly in its entirety, dominating a scene, and I don't feel it fits with the rest of the film. However, make no mistake, this is a great film. Easily the best sports movie since Cinderella Man, this is a story well worth telling that deserves to take its place among the great boxing movies.
8.7/10. Bale will win Best Supporting Oscar, I guarantee it.
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