I was surprised by this film, and I suppose I shouldn’t have been. Mark Wahlberg doesn’t try to get just any movie made for five years (he’s also a producer here). Darren Aronofsky doesn’t decide to direct just any film (this was to be the complementary film to The Wrestler. Aronofsky instead made Black Swan that complement. He’s also an Exec Prod here). David O. Russell doesn’t just sign on to direct just any film (Three Kings is still so great).
It’s called The Fighter, but it’s not a boxing movie. It might just as well be called The Plumber, or The Electrician, or The Placekicker. It’s really about a man trying to get out from under his poisonous, self-destructive family to do more than they can do for him. Wahlberg’s great, but the real stand-outs of this fantastically-acted film are Christian Bale and Melissa Leo, as Wahlberg’s crack-addicted brother and selfish mother (there are seven sisters, too, which all seem to be horrifyingly authentic locally cast non-actors). Bale dominates the movie, casting a huge shadow that Wahlberg is stuck beneath. His physical transformation is astounding (I’d have to say he’s the man to beat for Supporting Actor). And Leo is just as poisonous a presence on screen. Amy Adams, too, does a fine job dropping her cute vibe to play Wahlberg’s potty-mouthed bartender girlfriend.
Russell keeps the camera out of the way of the acting for most of the film, letting it all happen organically, fresh. However, most of the fights are filmed on video, as if you’re watching the original HBO or ESPN broadcast. It’s a nice touch. The film isn’t really about whether those fights are won or lost, it’s how he got there. But removing the camera’s omniscience during the fights gives the audience a little thrill at guessing what’s being said in our hero’s corner, knowing what we know of his life.
