The Fighter

I always wonder how it is still possible for another boxing movie to be successful. But when I see it, I realize that it is still possible. Stallone proved it several times with his Rocky, and definitely with his latest contribution. Martin Scorsese did not let himself be embarrassed either, and now he has also made his dream project come true, as did Mark Wahlberg. He deserves all the credit, but just like boxer Micky Ward has problems with the attention mainly focused on his brother Dicky, Mark Wahlberg disappears in the shadow of his colleagues. When Christian Bale won an Oscar for his role as Dicky, it was a bit disappointing for me, because I wished it for Geoffrey Rush for his unbelievable performance in "The King's Speech". But what Christian demonstrates in "The Fighter" is simply incredible. He doesn't act, he is the character. There aren't many actors like him, including Meryl Streep and the aforementioned Geoffrey Rush, but Bale deserves all the credit. He was not afraid of a character who is not a hero, who is negative, who has many character flaws, but he managed them all in such a way that you won't look for Bruce Wayne in him for a moment. Credit where credit is due. More: http://www.filmovy-denik.cz/2012/04/frost-vs-nixon-bos-vs-kung-fu-trocha.html (02/16/2013)

Already in the opening credits, it occurred to me that I had feared Fighter unnecessarily. And in the final credits, there was nothing ordinary or transparent about it at all. The cast surprises with their escalating performances (not surprisingly, the beautiful Amy Adams dominates), the TV-style fights in the ring draw you in and at the same time provide the necessary viewer's perspective, and in the end, even the perpetually screaming, "half-burdened" line with the successful family gains deeper meaning and stops being a distraction. This boxing story simply works from the first to the last minute. Some mistakes don't have to be repeated. (02/25/2011)

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... (01/31/2013)

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. (02/21/2011)

Bale turned his supporting role into the main role. Marky Mark plays the dime-a-dozen boxer that this story revolves around, but Bale enjoys playing Dicky to the very full, while not forgetting to respect him as a person. Great swathes of this movie rely on him alone and some moments are memorable only due to him. David O. Russell is another ace up the Fighter’s sleeve and drives the movie forward. The final fight is precisely balanced, the family wrangling disappears in the abyss of time and the actors help overcome some of the clichéd passages. (03/05/2011)