Mark Wahlberg's labour-of-love boxing movie.
The Fighter
The Fighter is a sports-related movie based on a true story, so plot development was never going to be its strong point. It is a relief, then, that an outstanding cast was pulled together for what is essentially a labour of love for Mark Wahlberg.
Wahlberg plays “Irish” Micky Ward, an American welterweight boxing champion from humble beginnings. But the film’s focus is not on Micky’s journey toward becoming a champion; rather, it is an exploration of his relationship with his trainer and brother, Dicky Eklund.
At the film’s outset, it is apparent that Dicky’s former boxing glories have been marred by his current drug addiction. Themes of redemption and familial loyalty are at the heart of the film.
Wahlberg began training in 2005 for the role, which didn’t start filming until 2009. He also took no upfront fee. During an interview for the film, his motivations emerge: “[my life]… makes such a good comparison to Micky’s journey and to the story… nine kids in both families and growing up 30 minutes from each other.”
Wahlberg’s yearning to tell the story of a stomping-ground hero is admirable, but his skill as an actor is not tested. If there were such thing as an “easy” role for him, this would be it. Which is why the real stars of the film are Christian Bale and Melissa Leo as Dicky Eklund and Alice Ward, Micky’s manager and mother.
Bale is unrecognisable, losing a dramatic amount of weight for the role. In an interview, he estimated a 60-pound difference between himself and the welterweight. Physical transformations aside, his portrayal of the hilarious yet tragic Dicky is outstanding. Not until the real Dicky appears during the closing credits do we see just how well Bale has done.
Leo as the manipulative and heartbroken Alice also turns in a stunning performance. Her relationship with her drug-addled son is beautifully conveyed in a scene lasting only 50 seconds. Both Bale and Leo are well-deserving of their Oscars for best supporting actors.
Boxing movies are inevitably constructed around the matches, and in this case director David O’ Russell’s decision to use 1990s-era HBO cameras was perhaps to give the fights a more authentic feel. But it is also at times an unnecessary distraction from the performances, which need no special effects.
DVD special features include an eight-minute mini-documentary on the town of Lowell and its boxing tradition, titled Keeping the Faith. From the opening credits, we are shown shots of Dicky in training, followed by a commentary from what seems like Lowell’s entire male population on the town’s boxing history. The message is clear: Micky Ward’s boxing career should not only be credited to Dicky, but to Lowell.
Interestingly, Micky himself seems to be indifferent to becoming a champion: “I never wanted to be a full-time boxer … I did it because it kept me in shape … never thought it would be my profession.”
THE FIGHTER, directed by David O’Russell (Roadshow).