THE FIGHTER

Directed by: David O. Russell

I don't know why boxing movies always have a special place in Hollywood. Some of them are good, like Rocky and Raging Bull, but the rest is just okay. As for me, I am a big fan of boxing and curious on how movies bring fights into screen.

With a very simple title, this one doesn't attracts me at all. But hey, any movies getting nomination as Best Picture is worthy of my short attention span. Like life itself, boxing is a perfect metaphor for 'life is a fighting' the difference is, for boxer, they have to fight it literally and metaphorically.

In the main spot is Mark Wahlberg, a talented actor with equal number of suck and good movies in his CV. Acting as Mickey Ward, Wahlberg shows that in the age of 39 he can still pull some punches.

Mickey is a struggling fighter from Lowell, Massachusetts, a blue collar small town America. His brother, Dicky Eklund (Christian Bale) is a has-been. He was once a boxer who had KO'd Sugar Ray Leonard and lives in the past glory. In present he is nothing more than just a crack addict.

Then there is his mother, Alice (Melissa Leo), a dominating wife that gives her husband no space to breathe. Together they are in team Mickey (as in team Jacob in Twilight saga).

Just like what people said, 'in the end you hurt the one you love the most' the family that supports Mickey ended up hurting Mickey, they just don't realize it until Charlene (Amy Adams) become the voice of reason to Mickey, well sort of.

Problems arise as Dicky got jailed and Mickey's career hangs in nowhere. Who can help Mickey and what will happen next?

The cast are superb, Melissa Leo can play a dominating mother and Christian Bale is so convincing in his The Machinist like performance; he make himself skinny. While Wahlberg is just okay but not disappointing.

The Fighter effectively balances sports elements with dysfunctional family drama and the result is very nice. I find myself inspired after watching The Fighter, just like as I watch 127 Hours.

The fact that this film is based on real people and real story makes everything interesting since it is not only about boxing but about fighting to be the best in this life by making the most of everything you had.