The Fighter

In Crackdämpfen und im Gestank von Peroxid auf den Boxerolymp. Eine sympathische, obgleich inkonsistente Synthese des Rocky-Genres mit einem familiärsozialen Drama, die so ein bisschen nicht ahnt, auf welcher Seite es mehr zu schlagen gilt und zieht es somit vor, eben auf Nummer sicher zu gehen. Dank Bale sowie dem enorm deftigen Finale gewinnt hier vor allem die Sympathie, obwohl mich die Frage, warum Aronofsky nach einer effektgeladeneren Pomade vom Tschaikowsky griff, auch weiterhin beschäftigt. The Fighter ist schlichtweg eine bescheidenere und sympathischere Sache. Und das nicht nur, weil das Ganze Mumm hat. (21.02.2011)

Ein Familiendrama ("ein Drama über eine Familie“, nicht "ein Drama für die ganze Familie“), das nur dank dem ausgezeichnet spielenden Christian Bale (eine ähnliche Rolle wie in Harsh Times - Leben am Limit) nicht zum Durchschnitt gehört. Ein psychologisch glaubwürdiger und schauspielerisch konzentrierter Film, der das Genre von Kammerbeziehungsfilmen durch nichts bereichert und auch keine markantere dramatische Momente hat. Zu Wahlberg passt die Rolle wegen seinem real-life Background. Der Film bräuchte aber an seiner Stelle einen echten Schauspieler wie Bale. (28.11.2011)

This is not so much a film about boxing and the hardships this sport brings (that's why comparisons with Rocky, Raging Bull, etc. are unwarranted), but mainly a social drama about a crazy family, a domineering mother-manager and two brothers who are completely different in character, all with riveting performances by almost everyone involved. While Wahlberg, with his unchanging poker player expression, hits his acting limits here, the anorexic Bale clearly reigns supreme and whenever he's on screen you can't take your eyes off him. There is such a believable and intimate atmosphere permeating the whole film, that you have no problem empathising with the action and watching it all in one breath. The only thing separating this film from a maximum rating is the fact that the plot meanders through predictable twists and turns, but otherwise it’s undoubtedly one of the films of the year and the Oscar nominations are well deserved. (27.02.2011)

The strongest response that The Fighter managed to get out of me was curiosity at whether Bale will get the Oscar for his secondary role as the skinny, drug-addicted brother/coach. I hope he does, because, although the film as a whole felt like classic award bait, Bale’s performance is the only thing that stands out among all the cynicism and it impressed me (something the cynicism from recent years, like Invictus or Milk, didn’t manage). Otherwise, it’s an ordinary story about how an unremarkable “loser” goes all the way to the top, though I didn’t get the feeling that Micky Ward made any extraordinary effort for that. The Fighter is not a bad film, but my sympathies lie elsewhere. 6/10 (11.01.2011)

A decent boxing movie starring Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale. I'm actually surprised I didn't get it sooner. It's mostly a drama about two brothers who have family problems and one of them is addicted to crack, but when Wahlberg gets in the ring, it's mostly something to watch. The final fight in particular was excellent. I enjoyed it, but it lacked the emotional impact to make a full count. There have been better pieces, but this one certainly doesn't fall short. 80%. (30.08.2018)

Already in the opening credits, it occurred to me that I had feared Fighter unnecessarily. And in the final credits, there was nothing ordinary or transparent about it at all. The cast surprises with their escalating performances (not surprisingly, the beautiful Amy Adams dominates), the TV-style fights in the ring draw you in and at the same time provide the necessary viewer's perspective, and in the end, even the perpetually screaming, "half-burdened" line with the successful family gains deeper meaning and stops being a distraction. This boxing story simply works from the first to the last minute. Some mistakes don't have to be repeated. (25.02.2011)

Bale turned his supporting role into the main role. Marky Mark plays the dime-a-dozen boxer that this story revolves around, but Bale enjoys playing Dicky to the very full, while not forgetting to respect him as a person. Great swathes of this movie rely on him alone and some moments are memorable only due to him. David O. Russell is another ace up the Fighter’s sleeve and drives the movie forward. The final fight is precisely balanced, the family wrangling disappears in the abyss of time and the actors help overcome some of the clichéd passages. (05.03.2011)

Freed from unnecessary pathos and sentiment, a boxing drama the likes of which we haven't seen for a long time. Above all, the central duo delivers an excellent performance. Christian Bale once again shows what he is capable of doing for his role; he lost a good 20 kilograms since Batman, and his emaciated, drug-addicted ex-boxer character is very well played. In some dialogues, the film has a very dramatic storyline, which makes it surprisingly gripping at times. The fights are by far not the only thing keeping film afloat, there are a few of them, and they are not worth mentioning much. I understand the Oscar nominations, after all, statues have always been awarded for boxing (why not tackle it). Much faster and smarter than I expected, Cinderella Man is an absolute lightweight compared to this. (20.02.2011)

It's just a bit above-par, but O.Russell quite handles the responsibility in the end. Perhaps a little more was expected from this film, just considering how diligently the actors prepared for their roles – anyone who expects miracles from everything should cool down quickly. Fighter has its strength and quality, not like Million Dollar Baby or Wrestler, but as a drama based on a true story, it's top-notch in terms of direction and especially the psychology of the characters. And the flaws are compensated by both the excellent Wahlberg, who really wrung his teeth and showed himself in the best possible light, and especially by the skinny Bale, whose performances are more impressive every year. A film that will probably be quickly forgotten, but that will certainly deserve a little reminder now and then... (31.01.2013)

Bereits in den ersten Minuten habe ich gedacht, Christian Bale würde alle Preise verdienen, die er für die Rolle in diesem Film bekommen hatte. Eine absolut perfekte Darstellung eines verloschenen Boxer-Stars, der in Drogen und der lokalen Bewunderung seiner Mitbürger herumtappt. Melissa Leo ergänzt ihn hervorragend, Amy Adams steht das verdammt gut, vielleicht wie nie zuvor, und Mark Wahlberg ist mein Liebling, da kann ich von seiner Leistung denken, was ich will. Damit betone ich eigentlich, dass Fighter ein Film ist, der auf hervorragenden schauspielerischen Leistungen basiert, während das Drehbuch einen Deut schwächer ist was in der Folge nicht ganz so sehr stört. (31.08.2013)

I always wonder how it is still possible for another boxing movie to be successful. But when I see it, I realize that it is still possible. Stallone proved it several times with his Rocky, and definitely with his latest contribution. Martin Scorsese did not let himself be embarrassed either, and now he has also made his dream project come true, as did Mark Wahlberg. He deserves all the credit, but just like boxer Micky Ward has problems with the attention mainly focused on his brother Dicky, Mark Wahlberg disappears in the shadow of his colleagues. When Christian Bale won an Oscar for his role as Dicky, it was a bit disappointing for me, because I wished it for Geoffrey Rush for his unbelievable performance in "The King's Speech". But what Christian demonstrates in "The Fighter" is simply incredible. He doesn't act, he is the character. There aren't many actors like him, including Meryl Streep and the aforementioned Geoffrey Rush, but Bale deserves all the credit. He was not afraid of a character who is not a hero, who is negative, who has many character flaws, but he managed them all in such a way that you won't look for Bruce Wayne in him for a moment. Credit where credit is due. More: http://www.filmovy-denik.cz/2012/04/frost-vs-nixon-bos-vs-kung-fu-trocha.html (16.02.2013)