The Fighter

[kevinknapman]

I thought this was a very solid and entertaining boxing flick. It occasionally resorted to sports movie cliche (training montage set to rock music - check) but was rescued by a fantastic cast.

Wahlberg was good but obviously over-shadowed by the more showy performances of Christian Bale and Melissa Leo, who were both excellent and bound to be Oscar-nominated. Amy Adams offered decent support as well. I also really liked Jack McGee as Wahlberg's dad George. One of those dependable character actors who turns up in everything (he was in Basic Instinct and pretty much every US TV show ever). Most surprisingly Wahlberg's trainer Mickey O'Keefe was played by Mickey O'Keefe. Not bad for someone who hasn't acted before. Even if he was playing himself. And boy, were those sisters frightening. Like a wall of angry hair. One of them (let's say diplomatically the least attractive one) I remembered from Gone Baby Gone.

I also liked how the boxing sequences weren't the usual stylised fights you get in a lot of boxing flicks. Instead of looking cinematic they resembled TV broadcasts which suited the style of the movie very well. David O Russell kept things pretty simple visually too.
I noticed that Darren Aronofsky was credited as producer which is interesting as the film I found it resembled most was The Wrestler. Both are frills-free pieces of movie-making from directors better known previously for flashier movies (O Russell directed Three Kings).

The Fighter may not do anything revolutionary but does it very well.

(Phew. I got through the whole review without mentioning Amy Adams in her smalls......Damn)

[a_person]

It was pretty full at Whitely's and I had a guy sitting next to me, eating apples! And even more annoying he kept on laughing really loudly and rocking the seat this sort of put me off for the first half hour, then he calmed down a bit. HOnestly I'm such a grumpy cinema goer

F*king hell, someone was doing that at Cineworld Greenwich too. MrGlass and I found two seats which we sat on. Then a threesome came once the movie was 15 mins in and came and sat next to us! There were two empty seats on glassys side and one on my one. The lady asked me to move so I looked at glassy (hoping he would say no) but being the gentleman he is, instead of making me swap, he swapped!

Then the c*$% behind me kept kicking my seat and the threesome kept f*£"!&g rocking her chair thinking its ok to really and chatting non-stop. There were two people on glassy's side too who wouldn't keep their f*^%$£g mouth shut either. It was like WTF man, what's wrong with you?

Agree with Beate, Greenwich was rather full too with people being allowed in 40 minutes into the movie. It was rather funny as one of the couples sat in front of where I was but it was one seat either side of someone else. They went and asked that person to move up so they could sit there. The person said no.

BTW I didn't know you were going Beate... would have looked for you then!

[TheyCallMeMrGlass]

Bloody hell, I didnt realise all that was going on, a_person! Wish I'd know about whoever is kicking your chair, I would have given him a fourth dimensional experience of the Fighter.

The film was enjoyable mainly for Christian Bale tour de force performance. He literally took the movie away from everone else. But as a boxing movie, I felt it was very mediocre. The fights were not well choreagraphed at all and I felt let down by that. I know this was based on a true story but it should have had more dynamic to it. The drama was so very unoriginal but acted well. It felt more of a made for TV movie. I have never really appreciated Mark Whalberg, dont hate him either. He just doesnt seem a special actor in any way, even though I enjoyed many of his films (apart from the goddamn awful Happening). This film is no exception, but he did have me rooting for him in the fights, so I guess he acted well enough for that to happen Oh I nearly made the same mistake Kevinknapman made, yep, Amy whatshername was damn hot in a couple of scenes.

6.5/10 mainly for Bale's performance

[Beate]

A wall of angry hair, I love it!

[weirdfilms33]

Argh, you've seen one more free movie than me Glassy don't expect to get away with this

[big_bad_wolf]

Another nearly empty cinema in Bournemouth to view The Fighter, about 30 people. Really enjoyed the film, the fight scenes were good and the story was interesting. A must watch film if youre a boxing fan but not as good as the Rocky films. Overall a pleasant night out.

[a_person]

Bloody hell, I didnt realise all that was going on, a_person! Wish I'd know about whoever is kicking your chair, I would have given him a fourth dimensional experience of the Fighter.

That's because you were so engrossed in the film! You didn't move at all and seemed completely oblivious to all that was going on around you.

[wsc]

Romford was fine, really nice seats, and TONS of leg space :)

[TheDude]

No wonder this is getting good reviews in the States, all the critics must be scared of the twisted sisters showing up on their doorstep if they say something bad about the film!

I'm not a huge fan of Bale, Wahlberg or boxing movies in general, but I quite liked this, the 2 hours flew by quickly. Nice to see a clip of the real brothers during the credits, you can see why Bale's role was the juicy one! I'm glad there wasn't that much actual boxing as that would have bored me. But what a family! And what a story! Sad to see Dicky's son having a father addicted to crack..

Enjoyed most of the soundtrack too (Chili Peppers, Whitesnake, and one of my favourite Led Zeppelin songs - Good Times Bad Times). Amy Adams did pretty well as the feisty Charlene, and Wahlberg apparently wanted the role as he is friends with Mickey Ward in real life. Overall definitely worth seeing.. 7/10.

[TheDude]

It was pretty full at Whitely's and I had a guy sitting next to me, eating apples! And even more annoying he kept on laughing really loudly and rocking the seat

Yeah that laughing hyena was a bit strange, wasn't he! I was a couple of rows behind and I kept thinking what was so funny about that...