The Last Movie I Saw

I'm not much of a boxing fan, but I have to admit there are a lot of really good movies about boxing. The Fighter, directed by David O. Russell, is the latest. As is often the case, the film has less to do with the finer points of the so-called sweet science than it does the personal struggles of the protagonist. In this case that means Mickey Ward, the up and comer portrayed by Mark Wahlberg, must figure out how to cut family ties that are holding back his career (his Mom is his manager and his brother trains him) while maintaining the emotional bonds with those individuals that fuel so much to his personal strength and ambition. The brother is played by Christian Bale, and the relationship between he and Wahlberg is the true heart of the story which plays out is a gut-wrenching but ultimately wholly satisfying way. It reminds me of the relationship between Rod Steiger and Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront (not exactly a boxing picture, though that's a big part of the subtext for the brothers' relationship), though in that case the destructive element is conscious and even premeditated. In The Fighter, the effects (at least early on) are the same, but result from tragic flaws more than intention. It's a very entertaining flick, with lots of fine performances beyond those of the leads. Check it out if you get the chance.