And The Loser Is... #11- Coulda Been A Contender

The latest film I watched for this project is David O. Russell's 2011 best picture nominee, The Fighter, starring Christian Bale, Mark Wahlberg and Amy Adams.

I've always liked Russell as a director. His Spanking the Monkey (1994) was one of the first independent films I ever saw. I thought Three Kings (1999) was a very strong offering, and even liked the much-maligned I Heart Huckerbees (2004). I had high hopes for this film, which is based on the true story of boxer, Micky Ward, who was trained by his half-brother, former-boxer, Dicky Eklund.

In the town of Lowell, Massachusettes, Dicky (Bale) is something of a hero, after a career that saw him challenge world champion 'Sugar' Ray Leonard. When the film begins, Dicky is being filmed for a HBO documentary, which he believes is about his in-ring comeback, but is really about his crack addiction. Dicky's younger brother, Micky (Wahlberg), meanwhile, is in the midst of a slump in his career, not helped by the fact that his brother/trainer is so unreliable.

It is the relationship between Micky and Dicky that is the main focus of the film, with most of the drama coming from the conflict between Micky's loyalty to his family, and his career aspirations. As well as being trained by his half-brother, Micky is also managed by his overbearing mother, Alice, (Melissa Leo), and has a gaggle of sisters always in tow. Eventually, after another tough defeat, he realises that things need to change, and, encouraged by his new girlfriend, Charlene (Adams), he decides to cut ties with Dicky and Alice.

Bale won the best supporting actor Oscar for his portrayal of the charismatic, jittery, ego-centric, Dicky, a man who revels in the hero worship lauded on him by the townsfolk, and, in particular, his mother, and is always eager to tell people the story of how he knocked the great 'Sugar' Ray Leonard off his feet. Bale is a fine and committed actor, who has a great knack for really getting inside his characters, and, while here he displays a magnetism reminiscent of early De Niro, I ultimately felt that there was something wholly inauthentic about the performance. He certainly looks the part, losing a lot of weight to imitate the ragged physique of an addict, but he never really got to the truth of the character. There are moments, when the visual tics are toned down, where he comes close to finding some emotional resonance, but, on the whole, Wahlberg is much more effective in his role as the overlooked younger brother, torn between his idolisation of Dicky, and the knowledge that his brother is no good for his career.

My criticism of Bale's performance can be extended to the whole film. A lot of the time it feels showy, and yes, stylish, but lacking in authenticity or real emotional depth. The characterisation is often times a little too on the nose; humble working class hero, cocky coulda-been-a-contender former pro, mother who gives all her affection to one son at the expense of the other. Even Charlene, by far the best character in the film, seems at times to be painted with broad strokes (although Adams' performance is so good that you always get the sense that there is more depth there than was probably written).

Amy Adams: MTV girl.

As well as the characterisation, the film also has an annoying habit of falling into base cliche, and signposting its expected emotional reactions. For instance, the airing of Dicky's HBO documentary acts as a wake-up call for several of the characters, Dicky included, but seems like a lazy way to go about creating a shift in the way those characters see themselves. Another scene shows Dicky losing his temper and laying into a wall of dressing room lockers with his fists, only for his young son, who had been watching on, to follow suit. Dicky's actions, you see, have a knock-on effect to those around him. There are many moments like this where it seems the filmmakers take the easy way out, or almost talk down to the audience, which makes it hard for the film to achieve emotional resonance.

There are points where it seems the film almost revels in its simplicity. Russell has shown in the past that he is an intelligent filmmaker, so when you see a Rocky-like fight montage set to an 80's rock song which proclaims "I'm back!", you can't help but think the director has his tongue in his cheek with some of the material. And this is, to a point, a fun movie. Micky is a likeable guy and you want to see him succeed, there is an energy to the camera work which keeps things moving nicely along, and there is a lot of humour in the script. In one scene, Micky's mother and sisters hold siege at Charlene's house, blaming her for Micky turning his back on the family. A fist fight ensues, and, seeing this, Micky's father (a funny Jack McGee), who has just pulled up in his truck to intervene, quickly backs down the street before anyone can see him.

As well as the strong performances from Wahlberg, and the best of the film from Adams, Melissa Leo is also very good as Alice, and actually beat Adams to the best supporting actress Oscar. Alice is a truly unlikeable character, lavishing all of her attention on Dicky (when Dicky spars with Micky to prepare him for a title fight, Alice proudly encourages everyone to look at how good Dicky looks), completley oblivious to the fact that he is a fuck-up. She is also selfish, emotionally blackmailing Micky with remonstrations about 'family loyalty', when she is really only concerned with maintaining control over her son's career.

Bale and Wahlberg: Brothers-in-arms.

A lot of the best scenes in the film are between Wahlberg and Adams. Charlene is a fiery character (an 'MTV girl', as the sisters call her- 'wild')  never afraid to speak her mind, but always with Micky's interests at heart. The two have good chemistry, him strong and silent, her feisty and outspoken.

The film also does a really good job at juxtaposing the lives of the two brothers. For example, at one point in the film, the two brothers are arrested for getting into a brawl with some policemen. Micky is released, while Dicky, facing more serious charges, is sent to prison. Shortly thereafter, we cut from a scene where Micky walks into a neighbourhood diner, greeted by whispers, stares and disapproving shakes of the head, to a scene of Dicky in prison, being greeted like a hero as his documentary is about to air. Simple contrasts like this do more to outline the conflicts between the two brothers, than any scenes between the two manage to do.

With Dicky's crack addiction, and Micky's down-on-his-luck career, it is easy to look at The Fighter in comparison to John Huston's tremendous '72 boxing film, Fat City (a comparison that doesn't favour this film at all). In reality, however, The Fighter is punching more at the level of a Rocky. It's an underdog story, which banks on the charms of its lead character to get you emotionally invested in his story. On that level, this is a success, and when it throws off the conceit of trying to be something more, it works really well. I just feel, given the people involved, that this could have been much more. 3 stars, and a win on points.

Look for another new review in ATLI... #12. Until then, here's looking at you.