There have been some great boxing movies, but I really hate watching the sport of boxing, so I usually avoid the movies. I am glad that I made an exception for "The Fighter". As with other great boxing movies, this film is not about boxing, rather it is about family, overcoming obstacles and understanding what is really important in life. I know that sounds very cliche, and I know it's all been done before, what distinguishes this film is the how. Here is an unflattering portrayal of a family that is full of selfish, broken people. Yet instead of telling the story of escape, or rising above, the filmmakers focus on working through the differences, growth, and forgiveness. Christian Bale's character is central in accomplishing this challenge. As an actor he thoroughly convinces us that he is worthless, yet that is not how his brother sees him. There were characters and moments within the film that I really disliked, almost cringingly so. Yet as the film concluded it became clear that those elements only contributed to the underlying message. This is the best constructed film of the past year, but it's not the individual pieces that prove that, rather how those pieces fit together.
"The King's Speech" is another example of Harvey Weinstein backing a good movie, yet convincing us all that it's a great film. I must admit that even while watching the film that aura infiltrated my mind, leading me to think that I was witnessing something great. Yet in retrospect, this was a very simple, somewhat generic movie, with a great cast and rich, detailed settings. Even now as I write this I remember reading an article comparing the plot of this movie to "The Karate Kid". I am grateful that I was not thinking of this as I viewed the movie, because I the parallels are obvious. I bring this up, because out of honesty that article may be subconsciously influencing my perspective on the film. I can only hope that I would have reached the same conclusion all on my own. What keeps this film from achieving true greatness (like "The Fighter" above) is that the story is driven by the performances of the characters, and those performances are designed only to drive the story. Even if each individual piece is well crafted, the overall result seems contrived. Once again, once that curtain is lifted and I am jolted from the illusion, my appreciation of the movie is seriously degraded.
