Cinema: The Fighter

 

(Drivebycuriosity) - Life has many issues, one of them is fighting. You have to stand up to many fights, with others, with the environment, even with yourself.

Such clashes & skirmishes are the subject of a very impressive film: The Fighter. This ambitious flick is one of the most promising contenders in the upcoming race for the Academy Awards. Rightly so.

The movie tells the story of a man, who tries to become a boxing champion. On his way to the top he has to fight not just with his opponents in the ring, he has also to struggle with his "white trash" environment: His manager, his girlfriend, his family. In each case he has to defend his plans, wishes and ideas.

It seems his heaviest fights are against his own brother. The older sibling is an ambivalent character. One part of him is an eminently respectable former boxing champion, a coach in sports and a teacher in managing life. The other side is irresponsible, undependable, destroyed by drugs. One part of him builds his younger brother up, the other draws him down. To watch; which parts finally wins, was the most interesting issue of the film for me.

It´s fascinating to see the fights between Mark Wahlberg ("the boxer") and Christian Bale ("the older brother"), also with Amy Adams ("the girl friend)" and the rest of the cast. The acting & dialogues are worth the costs of the ticket. The cream on the cake is the strong soundtrack, a fitting blend of Rock Music, including Led Zeppelin, the Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Aerosmith. Enjoy!