Das Comeback

Ron Howard spielt diesmal riskant mit dem Vertrauen des Publikums. Die emotionale Anspannung ist aber noch besser als beim letzten Mal. Beim Kampf im Finale habe ich Braddocks Schläge so wie seine Ehefrau gespürt. Ein Blick auf die anderen Zuschauer*innen hat mir verraten, dass ich nicht allein war. Russell Crowe ist wirklich ausgezeichnet. (06.10.2005)

The craftsmanship is very good and Russel Crowe’s excellent performance is so impressive that I ended up liking this film, even despite the shallow script; really, it lacks all depth and only plays a cynical game with the viewer’s feelings (Braddock is losing his strength, remembers a suffering child and wins… WTF). The poignant and pathetic scenes take so much time that they leave no room for any surprising twist (the story gets started, aims forward, speeds up a couple of times and doesn’t slow down even once). But I didn’t get bored, the final fight does generate some tension and I ended up satisfied. 7/10 (27.09.2008)

The second joint project of the Howard and Crowe duo fits the ideal "American personal pride" film even better. According to the strictest academic standards, this is the most tightly packed film in its two-hour duration, where we won't find any unnecessary scenes, but at the same time, we won't find one that demonstrates genuine emotions either. Not even a single fragment (let alone the whole film) leaves any other impression than that of a sterile movie, made solely for the needs of the American audience, eager to see one of their "historical" heroes in action again. It’s formally flawless - the camera filters, costumes, atmosphere - the 1930s (including the Great Depression) are depicted excellently. The fight scenes beautifully contrast with the atmosphere of the Braddock family environment - Russell Crowe and Renée Zellweger's outstanding performances deserve an Oscar nomination. However, the whole film is as cold as a dog's snout, and even though it's based on true stories and is wonderfully acted and excellently shot, it failed to engage me with a single scene throughout its two-hour duration. (04.12.2005)

Ich kann mir nicht erklären, wie ich Howards stereotype Schlagkombinationen, die mit einem Aufwärtshaken zum Kinn enden, einstecken konnte, während er mich genau dann zuverlässig zu Boden schickte, wenn es nötig war. Es fällt mir schwer, ein Argument dafür zu finden, warum dieser Film bei aller Transparenz und allen Klischees so fesselnd ist. Vielleicht ist das ein Verdienst von Russell Crowe, der einmal mehr beweist, dass er weiße Hollywood-Helden am besten spielen kann. Vielleicht ist es eine dankbare Vermischung des sozialen Motivs mit dem Motiv des männlichen Symbols. Tatsache ist, dass ich James J. Braddocks Duelle völlig atemlos verfolgte und buchstäblich vor dem Bildschirm klebte. Es ist kein Biopic, sondern eine Rocky-Variante, die in der Zeit der Wirtschaftskrise der 1930er Jahre spielt, mit dem obligatorischen Stempel "basierend auf einer wahren Geschichte". Denn Heavyweight strotzt förmlich vor Freude an der Verwendung bewährter Muster, vor Freude am Erzählen von Geschichten mit den bewährtesten Mitteln. Ähnliche Gefühle hatte ich zum Beispiel bei Zwicks Last Samurai. Man weiß einfach, was in den nächsten paar Sekunden passieren wird, und man genießt, wie gut es gemacht ist. Ein maßgeschneiderter großer Film, der mich umgehauen hat... (02.10.2006)

A typically Howard-style idealized fairytale based on true events. Here the characters are black and white, it’s full of clichés and basically almost disgustingly superficial. But on the other hand, this works in all respects - while having nothing to act, the actors at least have charisma, the production design is just right, giving a wonderful image of New York at the time of the Wall Street Crash, and particularly the boxing matches are perfectly edited. This is no world-shattering movie, but you get exactly what you expect from a picture of this type. (21.04.2022)

Cinderella Man is, until now, the best film by Ron Howard and possibly the best boxing film of my life. Howard may not bring a fresh breeze to the well-known genre, but he skillfully manipulates the given formulas and squeezes out emotions from me like a poem. When Braddock suffers, tears well up in my eyes, and when he fights, I have inclinations to root for him. And a huge praise to Crowe, because what he delivers is simply unbelievable, and it's a shame that he didn't imitate a similar role in another contemporary genre film later on. Russell, this was your night. (18.07.2006)

Excellent acting, with Crowe delivering one of his best performances. The last match was so nerve-wracking that I flinched at some of the punches. (22.12.2006)

Die Lebensgeschichte von Jim Braddock ist natürlich ein hervorragendes Thema für einen Film. Dieser berühmte Boxer gehörte zu der Generation der Zwischenkriegszeit, die im Boxring die Träume der einfachen Leute formte, sie inspirierte und ihnen Hoffnung gab. Schließlich ist jeder Name in der Kategorie der Schwergewichtsmeister ein Name: Jess Willard, Jack Dempsey, Gene Tunney, Max Schmeling, Jack Sharkey, Primo Carnera, Max Baer, James J. Braddock und Joe Louis. Sie alle sind Helden der Neuzeit. Aber Braddock war ein Wunderkind, ein gewöhnlicher Kerl, der sich während der Krise durch Armut und Entbehrungen quälte und an die Spitze aufstieg, indem er den 2-Meter-Riesen Max Baer schlug, womit niemand gerechnet hatte. Der Film hat sich im Grunde selbst geschrieben. Russell Crowe hat sich wieder einmal selbst übertroffen, dabei blieb kein Auge trocken. Ich könnte mir ein Dutzend besserer Schauspielerinnen anstelle von Renée Zellweger vorstellen, aber das ist egal. Cinderella Man hat es definitiv in die Ruhmeshalle der besten Boxfilme geschafft. Das ist genauso dramatisch wie die Kämpfe Schmeling gegen Louis. (26.08.2020)

Ron Howard is slowly starting to get on my nerves, his sterile academic direction may deliver Oscars, but not my recognition. Here, he follows well-trodden paths and mixes exactly those ingredients (determination, family, friendship) that work for American viewers, but I refuse to fall for it again. It is a skillfully shot, well-crafted, and superbly acted film, without any hint of directorial invention, which probably has the best-shot boxing fights I've had the opportunity to see, but they mean absolutely nothing when compared to the clichés and predictability of every other shot. (31.01.2006)

Maybe I was in a weird mood, but I didn’t like it. Probably what bothered me the most was the predictable and clichéd story. For Howard, who brought in such a good cast, it's weak... (15.01.2010)

So here we have another powerful story about one unbreakable boxing soul, and also another important notch in the cinematic field with the subtitle of sports drama. Howard is a more than skilled and interesting director who never fully disappoints, and Crowe is one of Hollywood's best actors at the moment, one that makes you root for him all the time. As in A Beautiful Mind, their collaboration turned out to be more than satisfactory, with a story full of tried and tested but mandatory clichés (guess how it will end), an extremely likeable hero, excellent scenes from the ring and a true boxing heart that almost forces you to buy gloves and get initiated into the secrets of this purely American sport. Yes, everything is perhaps too much in place, and the filmmakers, however precise and skilful, deliver only what the audience wants to see beforehand. I'm not saying it's bad, the word itself is inadequate given the previous superlatives, but Cinderella Man will never be a maverick among boxing dramas, even though it tries very hard. (01.02.2013)

Being a boxer during the Great Depression definitely paid off. A person had a job. It just required being a successful boxer. James J. Braddock was a successful boxer before the Great Depression, but multiple fractures in his killer right hand led him to give up boxing, or rather, he only received very bad matches. He only secured a job when he was lucky and they happened to have an opening at the docks. It wasn't easy, especially when he had to raise three children and also support his wife. After another lost match, when he broke his hand again, he was told that there was no longer any interest in him. He didn't give up, but luck brought him his manager. He arranged a fight for him against a young champion who needed a little sharpening. Surprisingly, there was no major defeat for the old champion, but his victory. And the star begins to rise again. This is exactly the story that Ron Howard could make a film about. A story full of emotions and pathos, and he's not afraid to shove even more of it in there. It's a bit of a shame. If it wasn't so terribly pathetic, it would be an even better film. Russell Crowe, whose name I couldn't remember for a long time, once again shows what a great actor he is, Renée Zellweger simply fits the role. Paul Giamatti is often like he's from another dimension - an underrated actor. Someone once wrote that there are no bad boxing movies. I have to agree. There is something about them that simply interests the audience. No matter how many sequels "Rocky" had, I enjoyed each one. "The Heavyweight" is also a film that caught my attention, if only it wasn't so terribly pathetic. More: http://www.filmovy-denik.cz/2012/10/ztraceno-v-prekladu-4-bratri-na-dotek.html (01.03.2013)