Film review: The Fighter (Director: David O'Russell)

The Fighter is based on a true story, that of Micky Ward, a boxer from an American-Irish family from Massachusettes who rose from being a stepping stone for more ambitious fighter to become junior welterweight Champion of the World. It is that typical tale of a working class kid  finally triumphing due to the power of his will. It is a combination of the classic boxer's tale with the newer twist of the stubborn underprivileged kid fighting antagonistic circumstances to liove their dream. It's Rocky meets Million Dollar Baby. So far so bad.

But it does not stay there because the result is remarkably good and far from being as stale as the well-known storyline suggests. That's due to the fact that director David O'Russell adds a few changes to tried and trusted way of doing this, some of which can even be seen at the second glance only.

One is the hero. Micky, played by Mark Wahlberg, is by no means your typical hero, he is even far from being  the most remarkable and memorable characters of the film. He enters the film as a sort of punchingball, a tool both for his opponents and his family for whom he is the source of their self-esteem, the instrument to fulfil their dreams, a puupet they use for their own goals. Micky is no heric figure, just a young man slowly emancipating himself, coming into his own, gaining independence. Wahlberg plays him so low key, so subtly that sometimes he threatens to disappear before finally (re-)asserting himself. This is no Rocky, the pathos, the heroism so typical for this genre are absent.

Instead, O'Russell surrounds his protagonist with characters much more excentric, much more memorable, much more formed. Characters who represent forces from which he must free himself. Christian Bale plays Micky's older brother, a former fighter with some success, dubbed "the pride of Lowell", long struggling with a crack addiction. Bale lost a lot of weight for this role and plays his character with a self-denigrating relentless intensity. He is no mere caricature, but a forceful character holding a major spell over Micky who has to break it in order to establish a real and fruitful relationship with his brother.

Then there are the two women fighting for control over him: Melissa Leo as Micky's mother and Amy Adams as his girlfriend. Early on, the mother is the dominating force who wants to control his entire life, whicle Adams' character appars to be the voice of reason who can help him live. It's to O'Russell's credit that the black and white gets dissolved. The mother turns out to be a desperate, lonely, loving figure who learns how to let go, while the gilfriend reveals a desire to control him, to shape him into who she wants him to be. In the end, Micky needs to emancipate from both of them and in doing so gains their respect.

Another weapon againt sentimentality and heroism is the films humor. Especially Micky's sisters are portrayed in an lmost caricature-like manner which counters the heaviness of the dreary surroundings which O'Russell depicts with a close attention to details as well as with a lot of light. There may be poverty and little hope here, but there is also a lot of life. This may be one of the most sun-drenched ghettos ever seen in film.

The film ends, typiucally, with a fight, but it's not the heroes apotheosis. Its dry brutality takes away all pathos, after all, this is a day at work. Triumphant yes, but hard fought, hard won, and paid for. A shining moment fitting a hero who isn't one. Just a guy doing his job and finding himself along the way.