February's Film of the Month: The Fighter
See the trailer for The Fighter
Please don't dismiss this as "yet another boxing movie". It's a captivating human drama, brilliantly scripted and skilfully crafted. Yes, the story centres around the sport of boxing, but the film is really about a dysfunctional family and the world they inhabit.
It's very different to 'Rocky', 'Raging Bull' and 'Million Dollar Baby' - all of which, for the record, are equally enjoyable and worthy of awards.
While the screenwriters and director David O. Russell deserve praise for turning a true-life story into a compelling piece of cinema, this is an actors' film and there isn't a single member of the cast who puts a foot wrong.
Mark Wahlberg does what he does best: playing the likeable, slightly naive everyman, all too susceptible to the (often corrupting) influences around him; Melissa Leo follows in the footsteps of Mo'Nique in 'Precious' as the proverbial mother from hell; and Amy Adams brings an important "girl next door" quality to her role as the local bartender who catches Wahlberg's eye.
Then there's Christian Bale, delivering a stand-out performance as the past-his-prime, drug-addicted Dicky. Bale looks like a lock for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar, while Amy Adams and Melissa Leo are both (deservedly) nominated in the Supporting Actress category. After her success at the Golden Globes and Screen Actors' Guild Awards, Leo will probably be walking up on stage to collect that golden statuette come Sunday 27th February.
