The Fighter

[Ja'moke]

How good is Christian Bale in this film? Really, really impressive performance. Great film too, although perhaps a little over-long, it dragged in a couple of places. But its one of those films that really draws you in, and it actually makes you want to jump off your seat in the cinema and start cheering during the boxing scenes. Nice performances from Mark Wahlberg and Amy Adams too, but yeah, Bale steals the show here.

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

It's certainly the best performance I've seen him give since Harsh Times, but I was actually surprised at how little Bale seemed to dominate proceedings. If anyone stole the show, I'd say it was Melissa Leo.

It was pretty formulaic, but it is a formula that works. The boxing scenes were really gripping, although I wasn't sure about that montage bit in the middle.

[vrailaine]

Bale was great, overall I thought it was a very average film though... kinda felt like it was trying to be Rocky and Raging Bull, when everyone knows that the first thing you do when making a boxing film is decide which one you're gonna copy.

I didn't like the fight scenes, actually. I get what they were doing by having the real commentry and all, but there was fuck all done with Wahlberg's character so I felt it needed some fake over the top commentating or dramatisation to make you care about him in the fight, we didn't get to know the character at all.

Yeah, just meh, and it's all Russell's fault.

[thugler]

Wahlberg is the blandest actor ever, everyone else in the film made him look crap, particularly bale.

Film was okay, nothing too special

[vrailaine]

What on earth had Wahlberg to work off, exactly? His character was given nothing.

[thugler]

What on earth had Wahlberg to work off, exactly? His character was given nothing.

The fact that his character is a real person surely gives him something to work from. I've heard it described at subtle and intentionally low key due to bale's character, but I don't buy that, he's just not acting.

[El Unicornio, mang]

I thought this was pretty good. Bale steals the show, but Amy Adams and Melissa Leo were equally good. Wahlberg wasn't great, but then again I don't think it's a film about his character, the film is really about the chaos surrounding him, and family ties. Also thought the film had lots of very funny moments, particularly the ones featuring those grotesque daughters, "I'll rip that nasty hair right out of your head!" made me laugh.

[vrailaine]

The fact that his character is a real person surely gives him something to work from. I've heard it described at subtle and intentionally low key due to bale's character, but I don't buy that, he's just not acting.

He wasn't given anything, no one could've done much with it, NO ONE. El Unicornio probably has it right there... still though, mehhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

[Ja'moke]

Also thought the film had lots of very funny moments, particularly the ones featuring those grotesque daughters, "I'll rip that nasty hair right out of your head!" made me laugh.

Yes! This may be a strange comparison, but they reminded me of the siblings in Muriel's Wedding.

[El Unicornio, mang]

Incidentally, this is the HBO documentary starring Dicky Eklund that is mentioned in the film

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8px0ZemSR6U

Looks like they got things pretty close, particularly the mother

[afunnydog]

God, that film's more harrowing than I imagined it would be, and wasn't exactly expecting a laugh a minute. Glad to know that Dicky sorted himself out before watching that.

The Neary vs Ward fight is on Sky Anytime at the moment and it's pretty ferocious. Nothing like what they choreographed in the film, apart from the last few seconds which are beautifully recreated. Great seeing Dicky's reaction at the end, got the same tingles from it as I did at the cinema.