| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| benj clews |
Posted - 02/01/2011 : 13:22:54
I'm first to have a stab at this film? Blimey...
Okay, so I went into this with high hopes, especially so being a major fan of boxing films (I'm hard pressed to think of a *bad* boxing film, but then I quite enjoy Rocky IV even- make of that what you will) and, well, wasn't actually too disappointed.
I say *too* because I don't believe this film is without it's flaws, the most glaring one being Marky Mark in the title role. How he ever got this role I'll never know. I mean, you cast Christian "I AM Method" Bale as the brother, Amy Adams as the girlfriend and then... Mark Wahlberg in the lead role? And what you end up with is a dull central character you're not much interested in except when he's getting his face caved in and surrounding characters with such depth you'd rather be following them. I seriously believe when handed the roles Amy Adams and Christian Bale sank their teeth into the parts, wanting to know everything about the real people and immerse themselves in them. Meanwhile, Wahlberg just went "I'll beef up a bit and train as a boxer for a few months- that should be enough for an Oscar, right?"
Speaking of Oscars, it's interesting that of the main nominations bestowed on The Fighter (best film, director, supporting actor and actress), there's no best actor for Wahlberg. And once you watch the film you'll understand why. Any time Adams or, especially so, Bale are onscreen alongside him he's simply blown out of the water by them. Right from the opening shot- a documentary-style interview with the two brothers, we kick off with a wide-eyed Bale goofing around looking every bit like someone dragged off the street and sat in front of a camera. Then in plods Wahlberg, doing Wahlberg and acting the same as he always does. Add in seven bitchy sisters and a manipulative Mum and you begin to wonder if this dull-as-dishwater boxer wasn't actually adopted.
My only other real gripe was a boxing match with a turnaround in it that would make the fight choreographers for Rocky IV blush. On the whole though, the fights are very well done. It's no Raging Bull or Cinderella Man in terms of dragging you into the ring- we're kept at a distance from most of the punches, largely shot in BIG SYNDICATED AMERICAN SPORTS BROADCAST manner much like in Rocky Balboa, and this works really well. You don't feel the punches quite so much, but you do feel like you're right there in the stadium watching. Another nice touch is seeing the supporting characters caught in the background of this broadcast footage with looks of shock, covering their eyes, or jumping out their seats shouting- once again, it's more their reactions than anything Wahlberg is doing that drags you in.
Of course, there's a lot more going on than just the fights and it's equally as interesting as anything happening in the ring. And thankfully a good deal of this revolves around Bale's scamp of a brother. So much so in fact, I reckon without too much of a rewrite they could have (and maybe should have) made the film about him (just as the film within the film is) as he's far more interesting, albeit not so likeable. It's him that brings much of the heart to this film and almost all the laughs, of which there's a lot more than you expect.
On the whole then, I really enjoyed The Fighter despite being indifferent to the main character. I guess that's testament to what a great story and supporting characters can do. |
| 10 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Wheelz |
Posted - 02/21/2011 : 14:13:10
Of the five Best Picture noms I saw this weekend (Toy Story 3, 127 Hours, The Kids are All Right, and True Grit were the others), this was by far the one I enjoyed the least. Mostly, I couldn't wait for it to just be over already.
Afterward, I was surprised that my wife and our friend both strongly disagreed with with me. They both thought it was brilliant.
Here was my biggest problem with it: I had no rooting interest. Upon reflection, I think part of the reason was that (except for Wahlberg) the performances were too good. Bale played Dicky as so maddeningly irredeemable that I lost hope for him; I turned my back on the character and wouldn't have blamed Micky for doing the same. I almost didn't believe it when he did get clean -- but by then I pretty much didn't care any more anyway. As for Melissa Leo, she simply made me hate Alice, despise her. One of the most ignorant and selfish characters I've ever seen. Leo deserves credit for making her so real to me, I suppose, but the result was that I couldn't stand to be around her, even via a movie screen. The sisters were annoying harpies and the older males in Micky's life were mostly ineffectual and spineless.
I might have been rooting for Micky to overcome these factors to succeed, if only Wahlberg had given me someone I liked and could get behind; but he came across as too blah and wishy-washy, unwilling to take control of his own career. If anything, I was rooting for him to take the promoter's offer to go to Las Vegas and escape all the awful people in his life, thus ending the movie in 20 minutes.
If there was one remotely likeable person amid this cluster of dysfunction, it was probably Amy Adams's Charlene, but I didn't see how or why she fell for Micky, and before long I was hoping she'd simply distance herself from this miserable family altogether and go make something of her own life.
So later, when I asked my movie-going companions what they liked so much about it, my wife said she was fascinated by Bale's performance. She was watching a character study of Dicky and thought it was brilliant. And I'll buy that. She watched the actor and loved him; I watched the character and grew to intensely dislike him.
Then our friend brought in a different perspective: He has a brother who's been through a myriad of emotional and physical issues, and he related to the complicated bond between Micky and Dicky. And while I could see that in the script, it didn't come to life for me.
So, at the very least, I came to appreciate how a film like this can elicit extremely different reactions from people coming into it from different directions. I can respect that. But I still didn't really like it. |
| Sludge |
Posted - 02/16/2011 : 00:58:59
quote:
Originally posted by benj clews
Reading other reviews, I'm starting to wonder if I've missed the point of Wahlberg's performance somewhat. What I read as boring, a lot of reviewers I respect put down as being a low-key performance that the role required. Bale has even said he couldn't have played his part as he did without someone like Wahlberg to play off.
I might have to revisit this one and try to put the more showy performances out of my mind as I do so 
Sort of a tough call, but I can't help but often think of him as one does Keanu. Marky Mark in porn. Marky Mark at sea. Marky Mark in a police squad. So, yeah, Marky Mark in the ring does come to mind. But I just love Baffy's review here, especially about the sisters. MW was what he needed to be. To take the high road, I'll suggest he's the DeNiro to Bale's Pesci (Casino/Goodfellas, but not Raging Bull where DeNiro gets to freak out).
...the almost expendable daughters who bleat on the sidelines like a Greek chorus whose scripts have been stolen by vultures...
Damn, that took me back to a wonderful course I took in Tragedy, circa 1989. |
| BaftaBaby |
Posted - 02/08/2011 : 13:55:13
quote:
Originally posted by demonic
Poor old Mark Wahlberg. He is so rubbish in so many movies - "The Happening" is a prime example, and definitely high up on my worst films ever list - in no small part thanks to his utterly misjudged, appalling performance. However when he's given something to do that plays to his strengths (i.e. not being the sharpest tool in the box) he comes out okay, and I thought "The Fighter" was one of those roles. I thought he balanced the barnstorming, scenery chewing performances around him very well, and I do think that's the point - I never sat and thought "Mark Wahlberg is good or bad in this film" in fact I didn't think about his acting at all. He's never going to be considered a great actor, but he does pretty well at being a movie star. He gives a terrific performance in "The Departed" for example.
Inspired by Bigger Boat's selection here's something fun: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvmytj56Tck&feature=related
Yep, I think that's the explanation ... plus one other very important (and linked) factor. The plague of so many actors who sometimes get into craft trouble. I speak, of course, of the competence of the director in knowing how to communicate with actors. Firstly, most directors are really rubbish at this, primarily because so many of them misunderestimate the creative element of the actor's job. So, they embody the cliche of treating actors like children. They fail to identify exactly what the actor's problem might be -- is it as big as a complete failure to reach agreement with the director's interpretation of the script itself. Or a matter of scene by scene motivation. Or some external reason why a particular moment, or line, might be causing problems. Even if the director can identify the problem, does s/he have the communication skills to let the actor know what adjustments to make for a more believable result.
In The Happening - as demo sez, it's a rubbish film with no hooks for actors to rescue themselves unless they're far more experienced than Marky. And, I have a sneaky feeling that it was the director who encouraged those telegraphed line readings because he thought it would create some kind of red herring that MW actually was responsible for the haunted vegetation.
In The Departure - so much better in script, directing, etc terms - MW acquits himself very well. Rubbish actors who are complete rubbish simply cannot do that.
In The Fighter, as I mentioned, the script provides him far less an acting challenge than Bale or Leo. But he didn't embarass himself, I believed he had family issues that conflicted him. I believed he was torn between mom and Amy's pie. I believe he still couldn't reconcile his hero bro having fallen so low.
Should he have been nommed as Best Actor? No way! But not Razzie material either. He's in the Goldilocks zone. That said, I hope he doesn't Exec Produce Hamlet
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| demonic |
Posted - 02/08/2011 : 13:39:19
Poor old Mark Wahlberg. He is so rubbish in so many movies - "The Happening" is a prime example, and definitely high up on my worst films ever list - in no small part thanks to his utterly misjudged, appalling performance. However when he's given something to do that plays to his strengths (i.e. not being the sharpest tool in the box) he comes out okay, and I thought "The Fighter" was one of those roles. I thought he balanced the barnstorming, scenery chewing performances around him very well, and I do think that's the point - I never sat and thought "Mark Wahlberg is good or bad in this film" in fact I didn't think about his acting at all. He's never going to be considered a great actor, but he does pretty well at being a movie star. He gives a terrific performance in "The Departed" for example.
Inspired by Bigger Boat's selection here's something fun: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvmytj56Tck&feature=related
quote:
Originally posted by benj clews
One other thought I had on The Fighter...
I could swear in the trailer, there's a bit where Wahlberg's being arrested and you hear something like "He's a fighter. Break his hand!". Then you watch the film and this dialog is nowhere to be heard.
It was in there - I think the line gets lost in the sound mix in the film though - they brought it up for the trailer. That moment felt very contrived to me - the only reason they would actually smash his hand up is knowing that he's a boxer, but why do that anyway - he wasn't flailing about trying to hit anybody, unlike his brother... the other famous boxer... |
| benj clews |
Posted - 02/08/2011 : 11:55:05
One other thought I had on The Fighter...
I could swear in the trailer, there's a bit where Wahlberg's being arrested and you hear something like "He's a fighter. Break his hand!". Then you watch the film and this dialog is nowhere to be heard.
Seems like a rather unfair representation of the film I thought. I went in expecting the cops to be against the central character succeeding and yet in the film they're rooting for him. It's fair enough trying to amp up a trailer by putting all the funny/ explosive bits in quick succession, but actually *changing* the plot (albeit a tiny aspect)- that's a bit off in my book. |
| BiggerBoat |
Posted - 02/08/2011 : 11:45:08
quote:
Originally posted by benj clews
quote:
Originally posted by BiggerBoat
I agree with you Benj, I thought Wahlberg was rubbish. I think he's always rubbish and I can't quite understand why he gets any roles at all - to me he's a very poor actor. I can't think of a single moment in any film he's in where he hasn't come over as a man in front of a camera reciting some lines because someone told him he's an actor.
Have a look at this and see what I mean. And in this scene he is no better or worse than in every scene he's ever been in.
That's just shocking  How has this guy not won a Razzie yet? He's got close, just not quite got the right role yet.
I think I figured out how he get the lead role in The Fighter at least (Clue: Mark Wahlberg, Producer)
I guess those who can't act Produce... and then act.
From the wikiepdia entry for The Happening:
The film was nominated for Worst Picture, Worst Screenplay, Worst Actor (Mark Wahlberg, along with his performance in Max Payne) and Worst Director (M. Night Shyamalan) at the 29th Golden Raspberry Awards; it lost in the former three categories to The Love Guru, while the Worst Director prize went to Uwe Boll.[citation needed]
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| benj clews |
Posted - 02/08/2011 : 10:53:47
quote:
Originally posted by BiggerBoat
I agree with you Benj, I thought Wahlberg was rubbish. I think he's always rubbish and I can't quite understand why he gets any roles at all - to me he's a very poor actor. I can't think of a single moment in any film he's in where he hasn't come over as a man in front of a camera reciting some lines because someone told him he's an actor.
Have a look at this and see what I mean. And in this scene he is no better or worse than in every scene he's ever been in.
That's just shocking How has this guy not won a Razzie yet? He's got close, just not quite got the right role yet.
I think I figured out how he get the lead role in The Fighter at least (Clue: Mark Wahlberg, Producer)
I guess those who can't act Produce... and then act. |
| BiggerBoat |
Posted - 02/08/2011 : 01:07:35
quote:
Originally posted by benj clews
Reading other reviews, I'm starting to wonder if I've missed the point of Wahlberg's performance somewhat. What I read as boring, a lot of reviewers I respect put down as being a low-key performance that the role required. Bale has even said he couldn't have played his part as he did without someone like Wahlberg to play off.
I might have to revisit this one and try to put the more showy performances out of my mind as I do so
I agree with you Benj, I thought Wahlberg was rubbish. I think he's always rubbish and I can't quite understand why he gets any roles at all - to me he's a very poor actor. I can't think of a single moment in any film he's in where he hasn't come over as a man in front of a camera reciting some lines because someone told him he's an actor.
Have a look at this and see what I mean. And in this scene he is no better or worse than in every scene he's ever been in.
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| benj clews |
Posted - 02/07/2011 : 13:01:54
Reading other reviews, I'm starting to wonder if I've missed the point of Wahlberg's performance somewhat. What I read as boring, a lot of reviewers I respect put down as being a low-key performance that the role required. Bale has even said he couldn't have played his part as he did without someone like Wahlberg to play off.
I might have to revisit this one and try to put the more showy performances out of my mind as I do so |
| BaftaBaby |
Posted - 02/07/2011 : 12:51:02
quote:
Originally posted by benj clews
I'm first to have a stab at this film? Blimey...
Okay, so I went into this with high hopes, especially so being a major fan of boxing films (I'm hard pressed to think of a *bad* boxing film, but then I quite enjoy Rocky IV even- make of that what you will) and, well, wasn't actually too disappointed.
I say *too* because I don't believe this film is without it's flaws, the most glaring one being Marky Mark in the title role. How he ever got this role I'll never know. I mean, you cast Christian "I AM Method" Bale as the brother, Amy Adams as the girlfriend and then... Mark Wahlberg in the lead role? And what you end up with is a dull central character you're not much interested in except when he's getting his face caved in and surrounding characters with such depth you'd rather be following them. I seriously believe when handed the roles Amy Adams and Christian Bale sank their teeth into the parts, wanting to know everything about the real people and immerse themselves in them. Meanwhile, Wahlberg just went "I'll beef up a bit and train as a boxer for a few months- that should be enough for an Oscar, right?"
Speaking of Oscars, it's interesting that of the main nominations bestowed on The Fighter (best film, director, supporting actor and actress), there's no best actor for Wahlberg. And once you watch the film you'll understand why. Any time Adams or, especially so, Bale are onscreen alongside him he's simply blown out of the water by them. Right from the opening shot- a documentary-style interview with the two brothers, we kick off with a wide-eyed Bale goofing around looking every bit like someone dragged off the street and sat in front of a camera. Then in plods Wahlberg, doing Wahlberg and acting the same as he always does. Add in seven bitchy sisters and a manipulative Mum and you begin to wonder if this dull-as-dishwater boxer wasn't actually adopted.
My only other real gripe was a boxing match with a turnaround in it that would make the fight choreographers for Rocky IV blush. On the whole though, the fights are very well done. It's no Raging Bull or Cinderella Man in terms of dragging you into the ring- we're kept at a distance from most of the punches, largely shot in BIG SYNDICATED AMERICAN SPORTS BROADCAST manner much like in Rocky Balboa, and this works really well. You don't feel the punches quite so much, but you do feel like you're right there in the stadium watching. Another nice touch is seeing the supporting characters caught in the background of this broadcast footage with looks of shock, covering their eyes, or jumping out their seats shouting- once again, it's more their reactions than anything Wahlberg is doing that drags you in.
Of course, there's a lot more going on than just the fights and it's equally as interesting as anything happening in the ring. And thankfully a good deal of this revolves around Bale's scamp of a brother. So much so in fact, I reckon without too much of a rewrite they could have (and maybe should have) made the film about him (just as the film within the film is) as he's far more interesting, albeit not so likeable. It's him that brings much of the heart to this film and almost all the laughs, of which there's a lot more than you expect.
On the whole then, I really enjoyed The Fighter despite being indifferent to the main character. I guess that's testament to what a great story and supporting characters can do.
Now that the BAFTA voting is over - here's my take on this excellent film - and I nearly agree with most of benj's analysis:
Well, I thought I'd seen all my choices for Best Actor. Until I saw Christian Bale in the true tale of Dicky Ekland, a boxer forever hoping for a comeback but diverted by a crack habit and one of the most controlling mothers ever shown on screen.
Back to Bale in a moment ... first let's talk Melissa Leo as much married mom of 9 kids - the almost expendable daughters who bleat on the sidelines like a Greek chorus whose scripts have been stolen by vultures - and her two favorites, the aforementioned Dicky, and his younger brother Micky Ward.
Both sons are enthrall to her, and the men who surround her wouldn't dare contradict anything she says. She believes she is the embodiment of that phrase Mother Knows Best. Boy, how wrong can she be.
In filmmaking, storytelling terms, what's so dead right about this story is that each major character embarks on his/her own journey of discovery. Making a true story come alive as though it might be fiction is only possible by someone totally comfortable with integrating narrative structure with basic facts. That's some coup for director David O. Russell who delighted us with Three Kings and I Heart Huckabees.
If Scorsese's boxing masterpiece Raging Bull is a film In The Ring, The Fighters place is In The Corner. Because this is a film about who's in your corner. They may seem to fuck you over. They may actually fuck you over. But if hearts are true and people can grow beyond the chintzy expectations of what family and friends really mean - then there will be a happy ending.
Back to Bale -- this is one of the most unzipped, naked and totally generous performances you'll see. Dicky needs to first shed his phoney interpretations of the past which he's been hanging on to as a kind of excuse for his failures. He still believes his manipulative mother, whose love for her sons has been tainted by the money she knows they'll make if Dicky trains Micky to be an international welterweight champ. She simply cannot acknowledge the flaws of either son, and it's the main thrust of the film that both sons learn how to deal with that to become their own people.
As Micky, Mark Wahlberg - who also produced - turns in a totally dedicated performance. But he has the easier task. Bale needs to turn himself inside out and display without shame his guts to us.
They both have very able support by a some understated and solid performances, especially by the refreshingly feisty Amy Adams, who also conquers some demons along the way.
BTW - I'm leaving my Bafta aide memoir thread up there until the awards. Some people have asked me leave it for longer so they can check the Baftas against the Oscars.
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