The Fighter

Impressions before seeing it
Continuing some early prep work for the Oscars (hopefully I'll get around to True Grit next week) with The Fighter. I wouldn't normally be interested but I like Amy Adams and Christian Bale, and Mark Wahlberg can be good in the right movie. Plus, you know, the Oscar buzz.

How was it?
At first I was surprised to see Darren Aronofsky listed as an executive producer, but then The Fighter does sort of resemble The Wrestler: a hand-held, documentary-type feel, a down-on-his-luck fighter who just wants to do what he loves, the somewhat trashy woman he falls in love with, and some family drama on the side. But since Aronofsky didn't direct, this one is more optimistic.

I'm not into boxing, but I don't think you really need to be in order to watch this. It's more about Mickey's (Mark Wahlberg) struggle to become good at what he enjoys, with and without the help of his brother Dicky (Christian Bale), who is a better fighter but a little past his prime due to drug problems. As I mentioned, there's also a bunch of family drama from their mother and sisters, all of whom get annoying. Under other circumstances I would rate it as average for an unremarkable story, but the performances bump it up a notch. Christian Bale especially stole the movie with a lively performance and mumbly Boston accent (hard to believe he's British). Adams and Wahlberg were good too, as well as Melissa Leo playing Mickey and Dicky's mother, but they didn't stand out quite as much.

Recommendation
I liked The Wrestler better, so I think it's more apt to say "see The Wrestler if you liked The Fighter" rather than the other way around. But it's not a disappointing watch by any means, especially if you are a fan of any of those actors. It just may not dazzle you unless you're really into boxing.