BY MIKEY MIGO
I’ve been having way too much fun mocking Mark Wahlberg for the past year to let myself enjoy a movie of his. Ever since Andy Samberg did the impression of him on SNL I’ve had issues separating the two. When I hear Wahlberg speak all I hear in my head is Andy’s great impression and the whole “Say hello to ya’ mother for me”. Be it new movies, old movies, or interviews. When that man says ANYTHING I instantly go back to those sketches. I like the guy. He produces some of my favorite shows and gets involved with good projects. Still, it’s rough to shake. I think this is why I didn’t want to give The Fighter a chance. I like Christian Bale, Amy Adams, and others involved. I’m not a huge boxing fan, but I can totally get into a sports movie. So with all the praise, what do I have to lose? The worst case scenario is that I sit there for two hours laughing to myself about a two year old SNL sketch. I watch and I let myself get into it. Before I know it I’m not thinking about SNL anymore and I’m just watching a movie. First hurdle jumped. Then I start to notice just how great of a performance Christian Bale put in. The story is that Wahlberg plays a boxer that is at that “now or never” point in his career. His older brother, Bale, almost made it and despite becoming a crack head is a local hero. Their mother, Melissa Leo, is the manager. She doesn’t know what she’s doing. Bale’s character is too screwed up to be of much help in training and drama goes down. Wahlberg is solid in the role, but Bale and Melissa Leo are just so great that it’s hard to even notice him. Amy Adams plays the love interest and does well too, but again, it’s all about Bale and Leo. Another character is the sisters. I say it as a singular character because they’re like a force of their own. There’s a group of foul-mouthed and vulgar Irish sisters who are a bit intimidating. Overall, it’s a great movie. It has to be Top 10 material for sure, but I wouldn’t go as a far as putting it in any Top 5’s. I really enjoyed the boxing in the movie. It’s not a super hero comes to life movie like a Rocky where the struggles feel like speed bumps. It feels real and gritty. There are more downs than ups and more tears than smiles. True, the movie is about a boxer so calling it “The Fighter” makes perfect sense, but I think the real fight in this movie comes off screen in a much more painful way. If you like any of the actors in this movie then you want to see it. I don’t care who we’re talking about. If they’re in this movie then this movie is one of their best projects to date. If you like boxing then you MUST see this movie. It’s not as gritty and “in your face” as “The Wrestler”, but it gives a real vibe of the not-so-glamorous lifestyle. In reality, watch it specifically to watch Christian Bale prove why he’s much more than a growl voice in a bat costume. A-
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