Cinderella Man: Jim Braddock--The Real Story

Released to coincide with the debut of Ron Howard's biographical film of the same name starring Russell Crowe, Cinderella Man is a respectable if technically rather threadbare documentary on James Braddock, the boxer who made a spectacular comeback that culminated in his defeat of Max Baer for the heavyweight championship in 1935--a rising-from-the-ashes victory that cheered Depression-era society much the same way Seabiscuit's underdog triumphs did on the racetrack. Making good use of news footage and film of significant bouts (although some shots are shown repeatedly to fill the near-hour-long running-time), the story is primarily told through substantial excerpts from talking-head interviews with boxing historians and experts, including biographer David Margolick, and even (briefly) George Foreman (unfortunately, an obtrusive music score occasionally overwhelms them). The result is less warts-and-all biography than panegyric, but the same can be said of Howard's feature film, and this profile will provide a decent nonfiction account for those interested in seeing the real story after watching the Hollywood version. DVD extras include extended interview clips. Recommended. Aud: P. (F. Swietek)