Recent watch: "The Fighter"

We recently watched The Fighter and I really, really liked it!

It's hard not to like an underdog sports movie, but this boxing movie about boxers "Irish" Micky Ward and Dicky Eklund is really great. The movie follows the rise and fall--or should I say, fall then rise--of these brothers played by Mark Wahlberg (who also produced the film) and Christian Bale. I am constantly impressed by Christian Bale as an actor, he always holds his own on screen, and in the past few years has done no wrong. And I was really impressed with "Marky" Mark's performance as well. I am not sure why, but I'm always surprised that Mr. Wahlberg is actually a good, but he's a solid actor, with the "The Fighter" being no exception.

As I mentioned, the underdog story is always a hook for me, but I was also pulled in by the story of the family dynamics, boxing (which I'm usually a sucker for), and that it is all based on a true story! The Ward/Eklund family is nuts! For most of the movie, the family is kinda like a train wreck you just can't turn away from, but as the movie goes on you see a little more depth and a lot more love. Dicky and Micky's mother, played by Melissa Leo (who one an Oscar for this role), is hard to watch at times, but she is raw and very real. The movie accelerates time from the true life events, and the movie actually ends before some of Micky Ward's most famous fights. After learning this I thought it was a really interesting choice, but I think it makes the movie more concise and focused.

Two thumbs up for me. Watch it if you haven't. The video is the real fight that concludes the movie, take a look-see: