I think we as movie goers often take the construction of films for granted. Unless we’re deeply invested in the world of film, or read the trades, I think audiences tend to overlook the entire process a film runs through. Some films take years, if not decades to come to fruition, which makes them all the more savoring once they finally hit the big screen. One of the most storied films to find its way through years of stagnation would be The Fighter. Green lit years ago with Wahlberg in the lead, The Fighter had gone through numerous hands until it was shelved. Through the determination of Wahlberg and genuine interest from Christian Bale, The Fighter was able to gain traction. Enter in the surprising choice of David O’Russell as director and now, after years of gestation, The Fighter is within our grasp. For as heartwarming as it is to hear that Wahlberg’s life project is now on the silver screen, the film itself is lacking something in the end. More on that in a minute, but what the film doesn’t lack is passion.
The Fighter tells the tale of Mickey Ward (Mark Wahlberg), a fledgling Beantown boxer looking for championship gold circa the early 90’s. Assisting Mickey in honing his craft is his brother Dicky Ecklund (Christian Bale), a former boxer who once had a future based on one moment in boxing history: knocking down Sugar Ray Leonard in a match. Dicky, who is sadly living in the past, has gone from a fighter in his prime to a junkie who abuses the loyalty his brother hands out. In many respects, Dicky lives vicariously through Mickey. Supporting Mickey and Dicky in a lovingly blind fashion is Alice Ecklund (Melissa Leo), the boys’ mother. Doubling as the manager for Mickey and the indirect perpetuator of Dicky’s behavior, Alice is the ring leader of a dysfunctional family that’s as loyal as it is crazy. Things come to a crossroads when Mickey develops a relationship with the independently strong bartender Charlene (Amy Adams). Charlene pushes Mickey to separate himself from the family that is seemingly holding him back. Through the incarceration of Dicky and the support of Charlene, Mickey cuts ties with his mother, and actually starts to succeed in his career. Although the film follows Mickey’s rebirth in the boxing world, it’s ultimately about a family’s struggle to balance the inherent loyalty they share with one another as well as the downfalls that loyalty can have in destructive relationships.
As you can imagine with most sports oriented films, The Fighter, at least through the meteoric rise of Mickey, is predictable. But what makes it feel fresh is that O’Russell is able to make a boxing film where boxing is second in line to the family struggle that surrounds our prospective champion. At the core of the family dissension are the terrific performances of Melissa Leo, Mark Wahlberg, Amy Adams, and Christian Bale. All of the aforementioned actors deserve copious amounts of award recognition, but Bale is without a doubt the film’s largest asset. Reducing his weight to a gaunt level, Bale is a revelation as the stoned out Dicky whose delusions of grandeur are firmly rooted in the past. By all accounts, we should hate Dicky and his boneheaded moves, but Bale’s charisma and sharp understanding of his character’s clouded judgement make Dicky a redeemable slouch. It’s clear to see in Bale’s transformation, as well Wahlberg’s physical performance, that The Fighter is a film brimming with passion.
In spite of the passion on display, the film falters in the third act where its emphasis on familial squabbling overwhelms its sentimental momentum. Throughout the film we have numerous bouts between Dicky, Mickey, Charlene, and Alice as they go against one another. But fight after fight overshadows the in ring accomplishments of Mickey. That is in fact the point, but for us to truly feel the emotional achievement of Mickey’s monumental championship win against Shea Neary, there must be some buildup and release from Mickey’s rigorous training and boxing path. Instead, what we get are short training montages infused with thematically overt song choices and boxing matches, although filmed extremely well, that don’t entirely capture the magnitude they bear on Mickey’s career. Once again, the family issues on hand are the driving force of the film, but the film possesses an underwhelming quality simply because the pinnacle of Mickey’s career is underwritten. Does this completely hinder the film? No. The performances and the humor found by O’Russell’s guidance are well worth the price of admission. Yet, with some tinkering near the end, The Fighter could’ve been a knockout. Instead, it just spiritedly jabs until the twelfth round bell rings.
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