Now I feel like I need to qualify the above paragraph. The Fighter is not a bad film by any stretch of the imagination. It’s well directed, well-acted and well written. It’s just that it’s only good, and to me a best picture nominee should be the total package.
The Fighter tells the story of “Irish” Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg) and his rise to fame in the eighties under the tutelage of his older brother, Dicky (Christian Bale), who is a failed former boxer and current crack addict. One of those problems has everything to do with the other, although I’m not certain in which order.
Micky spends most of his time waiting around for others, it seems, and this is fundamentally my complaint about the film. Micky is the lead character, yet he dictates nothing. Dicky is always smoking crack (as crack addicts are wont to do) and therefore never shows up for Micky’s training sessions. So Micky waits. His mother, Alice (Melissa Leo), is his manager. He fights when and who she books. So Micky waits. Eventually, he meets a smart (-er than her peers) bar maid named Charlene (Amy Adams, whom I’m not ashamed to admit I have an enormous crush on). She seems to take a real interest in Micky. You start to think he might grow a pair. But no, in the end it is Charlene who stands up to his domineering mother and good-for-nothing brother. Micky Ward is apparently the most passive boxer ever.
So, what about the good? Well, as I mentioned the film is very well directed, despite the boxing scenes leaving a bit to be desired. It has a great, authentic vibe, complete with a little Altman-esque overlapping dialog, and a fantastic performance by Christian Bale. I was entertained all the way through, but in the end, it just didn’t leave enough of an impression.
As I write this I realize that I am officially more than halfway through the best picture nominees! Good on me. The end is in sight! And speaking of the end, that’s another instance where Micky slips into the background, the film’s ending. Despite all that happens to him his life continues to be dictated by his family, for better or worse.
The Fighter is nominated for Best Picture, Best Actor is a Supporting Role (Christian Bale), Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Amy Adams), Best Directing & Best Film Editing