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WHO’S GONNA TRAIN ME?! Did you know that The Fighter, based on the novel Mickey Ward by Precious, is David O’Russell’s first movie in six years? Whoops. I mean, come on, that guy is so good at making movies! I know that I Heart Huckabees was problematic, but he really should be making more movies. What a shame. (He did make a political comedy movie in between called Nailed starring Jake Gylenhaal and Tracy Morgan, but Hollywood has shelved it because if there is one thing we know about Hollywood it is that they are all about SMART CHOICES.) Supposedly it was also very hard for David O’Russell to get this movie made. WHY? Why was this movie hard to make?! Great director, great cast, everyone likes sports underdogs, relatively low budget. “Sounds great, David, but could you make the boxers ROBOTS?” Is that what happened? Ugh. How do you sleep at night, showbiz? Let me guess: DIAMOND PILLOWS. Anyway, The Fighter, you guys. Very good movie. Here is a movie review of it:
Uh, it was super good? Cool. Where do I pick up my Pulitzer?
The Fighter tells the “true” (movie-style) story of real life boxer Mickey Ward from Lowell Massachusetts who came from a boxing family. His older brother, Dicky Eklund, is a local celebrity after one time, in the 70s, he knocked down Sugar Ray Leonard in a fight (maybe). Oh, he’s also a crack addict. Big time. When the movie opens, Dicky is being trailed by an HBO camera crew who are making a documentary about his comeback. Just kidding. They are making a documentary about crack. Eek. Basically, Mickey Ward’s family is a mess and they are keeping him from becoming A CHAMP. After a cop fight when Mickey gets his hand broken and Dicky goes to jail, Mickey starts making new decisions. He’s got a cool girlfriend who is some tough stuff, and together they start trying to figure out WHO IS GONNA TRAIN HIM. But can Mickey Ward be a champ without his family? Maybe. Maybe NOT! Eventually, SPOILER ALERT, Mickey Ward’s family makes up with Mickey Ward’s girlfriend and also the boxing gym owner and also the guy with the moustache in the suit, and Mickey Ward goes on to be a WONDERFUL BOXER! Yay!
The Fighter is basically Black Swan for dudes minus the loud spooky horror noises and the nail-clipping. Both movies are about peak-performers struggling to lift themselves from the shadows of their terrible families in order to achieve greatness at the risk of great personal harm. Both films are very well crafted examinations of self-doubt manifesting into self-actualization. THINK ABOUT IT!!!! (It gets complicated, I guess, because if Black Swan is Fight Club for girls, and The Fighter is Black Swan for dudes, then The Fighter is Fight Club for hermaphrodites? Did I do that right? That makes sense, though, I guess. It’s certainly no dumber or less sensical than Tron: Legacy.)
How is Mark Wahlberg so good? There are so many suggestions that he should be the worst. “Good Vibrations” is a good song, but the rest of his songs were bunk. Underwear model. Work out cassettes. DUDE FUCKING CREATED ENTOURAGE AND WORSE THAN THAT MUCH OF IT IS BASED ON HIS LIFE. And yet, here we are, living in a world in which Mark Wahlberg is one of the most compelling and enjoyable actors around. Love him. Oh, and in case it wasn’t clear, he is very good in this movie.
Speaking of good in this movie: hi, Christian Bale! His body is really talented at being skinny sometimes, huh? I really liked this stupid quote from David O’Russell in this New York Times article about the movie where he referred to Christian Bale’s acting process as “disappearing to his workshop.” Huh? What? Workshop? He does like to get skinny, though. Him and 50 Cent. When he’s playing a role like this, Christian Bale never breaks being skinny even when the cameras aren’t rolling. Normally, I’m not a very big fan of STUNTING in movies (think Nicole Kidman’s nose in The Hours or Charlize Theron’s FACE in Monster) because it always seems to replace acting with cosmetics, but man, Christian Bale, very good at acting, you guys. And very weird during the closing credits when they show a clip of the real Dicky Eklund talking and you are like, yup, nailed it.
If The Fighter is Black Swan for dudes, though, what is most surprising is that the real stars of the movie are the ladies. Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale are great, but the woman who plays their mother Alice is even better. And the women who play their sisters? Don’t even get me started! Is there such a thing as a group Oscar that you can award to a multi-headed white trash hydra beast? Give it. And let them make as long of an acceptance speech as they need to because I want to hear this.
Amy Adams was also terrific.
Can I also just say how nice it can be to see someone fucking WIN? But, like, REALLY win? Sure, it’s plenty easy to find happy endings in movies. That is almost all there is. But happy endings are so expected and so UNEARNED and IMPOSSIBLE that they’ve lost their value. In reaction, of course, we have the rise of the art house Unhappy Ending that pulls all the wool off of all the sheeple’s eyes and forcibly reminds us of what an awful world full of absurdist ambiguity we all live in as if we didn’t know that based on our DAILY EXPERIENCES IN IT. There is a time for those endings as well, they have an enjoyment factor all their own, I’m not saying they don’t, but whatever leeway or smoke and mirrors were used to make Mickey Ward’s story more Hollywood, it’s still a thing that actually happened, and to see him triumph was still exciting and happy-making, and that’s not really a thing that we get enough of sometimes. We deserve excitement and happiness you guys, just like Mickey Ward deserved his shot at the title.
Anyway, REALLY good movie is my point.
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Who would win in a fight? Mark “The Fighter” Wahlberg, Mickey “The Wrestler” Rourke, or Channing “Fighting” Tatum? DISCUSS!
Mark. He seems like he would get street.
Gotta be The Wrestler, right? Oh, and then he would celebrate by doing some blow and fucking some girl who is REALLY INTO FIREMEN in the bathroom.
You mean Carol Channing *fighting* Tatum O’Neil? Definitely Tatum, but only because Channing is past her prime.
second?
Say hi to your father for me.
I was worried that this movie would be super generic based on the trailers but it wasn’t, in fact it was kinda great, good job getting that oscar nom finally Christian Bale, you earned it
Also did you know that one of the sisters is Conan O’Brien’s sister in real life?
I thought Conan O’brien’s sister was Conan O’brien.
I thought Conan O’brien’s sister was Conan O’brien.
FUCKING DUPLICATES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I thought Conan O’brien’s sister was Conan O’brien.
You guys mean Tilda Swinton
SWINTON
(Lilbobbytables knows what I’m talking about)
Donna Darko.
Call back!
In death he has a name. His name is Conan O’Brien.
You guys can have some of my tots
That is too many pounds of tater tots.
“Keep your mouth shut, That One.” — Fat Kids
“Nailed” is currently in post production so we may very well see two David O. Russell films within a one year time span.
I didn’t realize they actually talk about the making of “High on Crack Street” in this! When I read that I raised my arms skyward in a fashion that made me glad I’m the only person at work right now.
after i read that part i just skimmed the review to find out if they include the part where that one crack addict steals those golf clubs. “$299. TWO. TWO. NINE-AH.”
I can’t wait for the director’s cut; I hear it’s three hours of Christian Bale smoking crack and jumping out windows into piles of garbage.
I didn’t know Donnie was a crack addict.
OR
PAHk the KAH in HAHvud YAHd. Wicked PAH!
DOOLY Appahnted Federawl Mah-shawls
Mawk. You’ve gown to Fah. You fahted while pahking the cah.
Okay, so, I live in Lowell and I remember when this was getting filmed here and seeing all the actors and it was super cool. ALSO, everyone knows Mickey and Danny around here. My uncles have met them both (and have gotten into arguments with Mickey over stupid shit). That’s my dumb “wow why does hollywood care about my crappy little town story?”.
P.S. the thing about the cops breaking his hand is total bullshit. He(SPOILER) broke it when he punched a wall when he was drunk. Not as dramatic I know.
Hey guy, if I want the differences between the real world and the movies pointed out to me I’ll pop in my vhs of Last Action Hero!
JilGAaM, if you’re Lowell born and raised, there’s a chance my uncle was your guidance counselor. If so, I hope he helped you get into the college or trade school of your choice.
i have some family from up that way. the way i heard the handbreaking story is this… ward is drunk at a party gets in a fight with the girlfriend and just starts going to town on the side of a truck. denting the shit out of it and breaking his hand in the process.
So, I guess Christian Bale is now gaining 600 lbs. for his next role before he loses 900 lbs. for the one after that. Back and forth forever, this guy.
Yeah, the guy seems to take emaciated roles inbetween muscle roles.
Equilibrium — The Machinist — Batman Begins — Rescue Dawn — Dark Knight/Terminator — The Fighter — Dark Knight Rises.
is that really going to be the name of the next bleak dreary depress-o batman movie? ugh
That’s the confirmed title so far. It could change, and there are random people speculating it will, but who knows. It’s not catchy, right?
It (the whole thing) is so fucking stupid. Back in the 80s (I’m old) it was sort of different/ weird and fun to see the Frank Miller and then later Tim Burton versions of tha Bats Man, but then it just became this default setting of bleak dreary depression Death Wish meets Captain Serious nonsense that is just no fucking fun what so ever. I hate it. Just rent the 60s version of the batman movie and have a gay old time because that is better.
I was just pointing out the clunky title. If you hate the whole thing (Batman post-Burton), then “Dark Knight Rises” should sound just as appealing to you as “The Dark Knight Jessica Alba.”
I do agree with you that Dark Knight Returns, Watchmen and books like them ushered in an age of comic book grittiness that got old really quick, and DKR and Batman: Year One really became the foundation for everything Batman is now.
Batman: The Movie is available on Netflix PlayNow. I watched the first half and enjoyed it quite a bit, especially because it made me start envisioning a “What if” scenario of “What if… David Lynch directed a Batman film?” I still need to finish watching it.
btw, I just admitted I have not seen the whole film that the recurring part of my avatar is from (Adam West’s Batman). I am ashamed.
I can actually see why actors get way into weight management for roles. I think anyone who has been an intense diet knows how immersed and focused that can get you. And then anybody whose put on a few pounds can say how that takes you out of your normal mannerisms and makes you uncomfortable.
“Boston accents are so hot right now!” -This Guy:
HA HA HA HA one of my favorite characters. Him, Swearengen, Boba Fett and Stringer Bell. Ultimate Legion of Doom. Throw in Andy Rooney and Norm MacDonald and you got a hot new sitcom.
They’re making a sequel to Zoolander! I would post a gif to show how excited I am about it, but instead I’m going to use my words…
I’ll do it for you:
I’m at a loss. Looks like I need to go back to school:
Between The King’s Speech, The Fighter and the end of this movie review, happy endings sure are making a comeback and I’m all for it. I know happy endings aren’t always the reality, but guess what, SOMETIMES they are….just not all the time or even a majority of the time. I guess what I’m trying to say is I loved When Harry Met Sally, when I watched it on tv this weekend?
Happy endings are great, as long as they don’t come out of nowhere and are believable
They seldom come out of nowhere. You generally have to negotiate them upfront. Wait, are we talking about the same thing?
weiners
Thank god. I thought I was embarrassing myself.
Harry Potter 7.1 had a happy ending. When my wife woke me up in the theater and said we could go home.
“Hi Edie Falco please. Hi Edie, it’s Melissa Leo. Hmmm? Yes, Treme was brilliant wasn’t it. No, it wasn’t a fat suit, that was all John Goodman. Too many beignets, I think.
Speaking of HBO, I’m doing a movie with Mark Wahlberg in Boston and it call for kind of a trashy vibe. I was wondering if you had any of your Carmella Soprano wigs and outfits lying around. No, MARK Wahlberg. Not the one in New Kids… mm hmm, yes. The one in Boogie Nights. No. Nonononono no. I saw it. He definitely was wearing a prosthesis. ummm… I’d say about 7′. So about the wigs? Yes? Perfect. I’ll pick them up tomorrow.”
Ho, man, you KNOW David O’Russell didn’t pull the same shit with Mark Wahlberg that he did with Lily Tomlin. Dude would’ve been Pah’d to death.
Pah!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4Qls1rAfYs
I would like to point out that the girl holding the firetruck in the photo of the sisters is the actress who played Poppy on the very first episode of “Strangers with Candy.” I recognized her instantly, then checked it on IMDB. You’re welcome.
I saw this last night. A fiasco. An SNL sketch about Boston. A tonal mess and a Total mess. I was not laughing with this movie I was laughing at it because it was a fucking joke.
David O’Russell ? Hahahahaha He’s not a fucking Leprechaun. It’s David O. Russell.
“You bet yer ass I’m a Leprechaun!!!!”
