THE FIGHTER: A KO ENSEMBLE

Mickey Ward: I'm the one who's fighting.

Not you, not you, and not you.

The Fighter, is a drama about boxer "Irish" Micky Ward's unlikely road to the world light welterweight title while dragging behind him his half-brother Dicky, a boxer-turned-trainer whose life is impacted by living a less than angelic existence. While this film appears to be another in a long line of local boy makes good, it goes deeper than that in making it more personable and giving a look at the family as a whole and how this quest for greatness effects them all. Mark Mark (yes, I will forever call him that until he asks me not to) Wahlberg delivers a solid performance as the fighter with a dream and a pain in the ass family who simultaneously drag him down and pull him up. The two greatest offenders being his mother played by Melissa Leo, brash and abrasive, and his drug addicted, jail time serving brother seamlessly portrayed by Christian Bale. In fact, it is Bale who takes the spotlight away from Wahlberg not only with his acting, but by the story itself. At the end of the movie (and during the awards show season) we were introduced to the real pair of brothers and Bale is spot on in his recreation of Dicky, as also attested to by the slew of awards he received. The only real difference I found in this film was the focus on the family rather than just the man doing the actual fighting; like the family was fighting in the ring with him. It is a solid film carried well by Wahlberg but crafted by Leo and Bale. Amy Adams also did a top notch job as Mickey's girlfriend.

RESSURECTING THE CHAMP

RESURRECTING THE CHAMP A KNOCK OUT
It's both a pleasure and a curse discovering a film that has flown under the radar for whatever reasons, but turns out to be insightful and sincere. This story is based on actual events that turn out to be a lie. Samuel Jackson, one of the finest actors in the business, plays "The Champ" a homeless man with a ruddy complexion and a love of beer. One night Erick Kernan (Josh Hartnett), green sports reporter working on back burner, well-hidden stories comes across a groups of punk kids beating up on the man. The two engage in conversation and the reporter smells a winning story, just what he needs after his editor says he "sees a lot of typing, but not a lot of writing." He gets to know the Champ, but doesn't get to know the person.

Sometimes we need the truth to be clean and, well, true, no matter what reality is. We find out later in the film that this includes the dynamics of father/son bonding. Kernan wrestles with his father's ghost and his son's adoration. Some say the ending is sad, but even with the sadness comes redemption. The idea sinks in on the importance of being who you are, no matter where you are. As mentioned, Samuel Jackson owns this movie. His performance is flawless and steady. Hartnett, on the other hand, was horribly miscast in his role. It wasn't his acting, but rather is teenage/boyish face that stands out. Although he is supposed to be young and a budding writer, he looks like he is writing a book report rather than an article. Additionally, his son was miscast as well. When do six-year-olds talk like that? When does a six-year-old understand the abstract issues bouncing around in his father's head? He is cute, but unbelievable as far as his dialogue. All in all, I enjoyed this film and, did I mention, LOVED Samuel Jackson?!?

PICK: Suspend your expectation for realism and enjoy an entertaining movie.