The fighter starts off with Christian Bale (Dicky Eklund) in front of a camera talking about what a great boxer he was, the then introduces his kid brother Mickey Ward (played by Mark Wahlberg) who is an up and coming boxer in the small industrial town of Lowell Massachusetts. He talks about how he was a quick boxer who liked to stay out of the way, but his brother liked to get into it and throw some punches. He has taught his little brother every thing he knows.
Right at the get go you look and Christian Bale and realize that he has done it again, he has transformed himself into the character (for those of you who have not seen these transformations, you can see his best work in The Machinist or The Prestige, which are by the way two of my favorite movies). He plays this lanky, but way past his prime boxer (the pride of Lowell), who's being followed around by cameras, on his road to a comeback. But 10 to 15 minute into the story you realize that he's nowhere close to comeback, he's a pothead with one big moment. All this time his brother, Mickey Ward is in his shadow, a boxer with a lot of talent, eying something better. Mickey is trained and managed by his family (his brother and mother).
In Mickey you see this man, who is not young in years but still has that idealistic look in his eyes. A man who is hoping for the big time. Mark Wahlberg plays him with a great sincerity that makes you really feel for the character.
The entire cast of the movie does a brilliant job to take you in an not let go. They tell you a very important story with an amazing grace.
Spoiler Alert:
The story starts of slow with the introduction of all the characters as they set the scenes. They show Dicky and his mother Alice, as they try and get Mickey back on his feet after a string of defeats. As you are watching the scenes unfold in the movie you realize that there's a lot more going on here. The family is a mess and they are dragging down this potential talent with them.
The mother (Alice Ward) and the sisters are trying to ride a gravy train that has long been dry. They are trying to hold back Mickey from what he can really do. All they can see and aspire to is what Dicky was, what he could have been. They don't see what has happened to him, and what they are doing to Mickey either.The turning point in the story comes when Mickey decides he needs to do what's best for him after another big skirmish in which his brother is arrested and he starts doing what's best for him.
At the same time you see Dicky in prison as he slowly comes out of this addiction deal with what the documentary was really about, Drugs and Lives lost, not about some big comeback. He comes out of prison a changed man, a clean man who helps his brother to his biggest victory.
A wonderful movie. Brilliant acting. Definitely worth a watch. All in all 4 on 5
Rahul.
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