Families don't come more dysfunctional than the Wards of Lowell, MA, a blue-collar Irish clan headed by a fiercely possessive mother (Melissa Leo) and a cowed, compliant father (Jack McGee). Prominent among their nine grown children are Dicky (Christian Bale), a former boxer who once fought Sugar Ray Leonard, and Micky (Mark Wahlberg), who's being groomed as a “contender.” Problem is, Dicky's addicted to crack, and Micky has a hard time realizing that his family is actually standing between him and achieving his dream. Then Micky meets Charlene (Amy Adams), a college dropout working as a bartender, whose honesty earns her the abusive enmity of the Wards—en masse—but who turns Micky's life around, although he's still dependent on his older brother. Based on a true story, director David O. Russell's multiple Oscar-nominated The Fighter benefits from a talented ensemble cast: Wahlberg is convincing as the underdog (even though he's a decade older than his character), Bale is outstanding as his volatile sibling, Leo is imperiously assertive as the matriarch, and Adams' sincerity is endearing. While the boxing scenes pale in comparison with Rocky, Raging Bull, and Million Dollar Baby, this scrappy little drama is a winner outside the ring. Highly recommended. (S. Granger)
The Fighter
Paramount, 115 min., R, DVD: $30.99, Blu-ray: $40.99, Mar. 15 Volume 26, Issue 3
The Fighter
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: