tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8871549895931317151.post5560563724638905868..comments2023-11-28T15:20:59.369-05:00Comments on Cinema Viewfinder: Movie Review: The Fighter (2010)Tony Dayoubhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04632329277519635858noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8871549895931317151.post-63390058093289765872012-11-05T09:43:52.787-05:002012-11-05T09:43:52.787-05:00I see what you're saying. But this seems like ...I see what you're saying. But this seems like more of a way to justify Russell's inability to keep a Bale's selfish screen presence in line. It does not seem like something planned, or even accepted tacitly during once THE FIGHTER was in production.Tony Dayoubhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04632329277519635858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8871549895931317151.post-28606597099590912202012-11-04T06:38:44.402-05:002012-11-04T06:38:44.402-05:00Is the whole purpose not for Bale's character ...Is the whole purpose not for Bale's character to overtake the film? that's half the conflict, so it makes sense to give him a bit of free reign, to let him live out and act the same way outside of the scenes as he is supposed to in the scene...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8871549895931317151.post-13310271955322434682010-12-24T14:29:18.047-05:002010-12-24T14:29:18.047-05:00Well, Tony, I guess we'll have to agree to dis...Well, Tony, I guess we'll have to agree to disagree. I judge movies pretty lightly. My only criteria is, Does the film succeed at what it was aiming for? That's why I can love a B-movie like SPLICE, or an A-list one like TRUE GRIT.<br /><br />Something like Sofia Coppola's SOMEWHERE fails for me because it fails to hit that target. It tries to say something deep about a privileged few without either making the protagonists entirely relatable or presenting anything above the superficial.<br /><br />THE FIGHTER fails because it takes the focus away from Mickey Ward. And while it's easy to attribute this to an explanation that the film is really about Dicky Eklund, the fact is it isn't.<br /><br />Micky is in every scene, and the story is about his journey from one emotional place where he is overshadowed by his brother to one where he rises above that. Dicky is merely a story device. If the director finds more to be enamored with in Dicky, and doesn't restructure the drama appropriately to compensate the movie is neither fish nor fowl.<br /><br />I'm sure I would have liked a movie about Dicky. As it is, THE FIGHTER isn't enough of that either.Tony Dayoubhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04632329277519635858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8871549895931317151.post-66865914341528060252010-12-24T00:23:33.138-05:002010-12-24T00:23:33.138-05:00Alright, first off I think this was an excellent m...Alright, first off I think this was an excellent movie, but not a perfect movie. But I think it succeeds on a level that many critics are not giving it credit for. <br /><br />I personally do not believe that Christian Bale was showboating with the character, but I will give you that one for argument's sake. After the line is a fine one when it comes to impersonating a living human being (and video of the real Dickie Ecklund suggests he's spot on) but no matter, it's a subjective issue to harp on. So we'll say he's over doing it. <br /><br />I still think it works. For a number of reasons. <br /><br />1. I don't think the movie is about Mickey Ward. I think that's why Wahlberg plays him perfectly. He's a vessel through which we experience the insecurities of those around him. He is not a strong character, a total pushover, and as such if he loses it's everyone's loss and if he wins it's everyone's win. In my mind Dickie is the main character of the movie, even if it's not his fists in the fight. <br /><br />2. If we thought that Mickey's one sympathetic counterpart was Charlene, we were lead to believe that by her backseat to Dickie and Mickey's mother's overt control. We don't suspect she's also using him in a way BECAUSE Dickie is so over the top. <br /><br />3. All of the characters are chasing after what Dickie almost had a shot at. He is larger than life in the town, not only because of his brush with success but because of his failures. The Pride of Lowell, Dickey embodies the journey of the town itself, once a thriving, growing industrial hot spot succumbed to economic depression, forced to carry on a shadow of itself. <br /><br />Mickey never clearly etches a personality of his own in The Fighter, except through his loyalties. To his family, his girlfriend and his town. Thus, he takes a backseat to all of them, and in my opinion the movie is better for it.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03517392884798669442noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8871549895931317151.post-27706955324753031672010-12-22T04:27:15.502-05:002010-12-22T04:27:15.502-05:00I liked the film a fair sight more then you did, t...I liked the film a fair sight more then you did, though often it made me EXTREMELY uncomfortable. <br /><br />I liked Bale's performance. He's been playing Batman in every film he's been in for far too long, and I like the live wire energy he brought to this. <br /><br />More importantly, he sells the moments he needs to. The part were he hits bottom after his HBO special really hit. That's a scene that's been scene a bajillion times before, but Bale made it seem real.Bryce Wilsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17040954580033470664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8871549895931317151.post-81798403622421657402010-12-21T01:41:44.748-05:002010-12-21T01:41:44.748-05:00While I understand your reaction Tony, I definitel...While I understand your reaction Tony, I definitely disagree. A rebuttal tomorrow, it's late now.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03517392884798669442noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8871549895931317151.post-11677544951686556092010-12-20T12:35:30.640-05:002010-12-20T12:35:30.640-05:00Candice, I wish I could agree with you, but I thou...Candice, I wish I could agree with you, but I thought Bale's was a very self-serving performance. As I said above, I would never blame an actor for that; it's in their nature. But Russell should realy have used better judgement in letting him hijack the film away from what I thought were two, low-key, nuanced performances from Adams and Wahlberg. Not every good performance needs to be dialed up to 11 in my opinion. Thanks for stopping by and offering your thoughts.<br /><br />Debra, I really don't have a problem with Bale, usually. Or the director. I just think it was a miscalculation. Still, the movie is worth seeing, if not necessarily urgently.Tony Dayoubhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04632329277519635858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8871549895931317151.post-35956809842596644202010-12-20T12:26:02.372-05:002010-12-20T12:26:02.372-05:00I can't stand Christian Bale, never have, neve...I can't stand Christian Bale, never have, never will. He just creeps me the fuck out and am not surprised to hear about him inthe film. What a bummer. Still I would like to see Adams. Wait til video.debranoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8871549895931317151.post-45669437295837584412010-12-20T12:25:54.805-05:002010-12-20T12:25:54.805-05:00i actually thought the romance was the throwaway a...i actually thought the romance was the throwaway aspect of the movie. I though Bale was brilliant, and Wahlberg didn't put out a career-best i my opinion, but managed to say a lot in less words (as opposed to the motormouth Dicky).Candice Frederickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16195801629178470295noreply@blogger.com