The Fighter

Un drama familiar (en el sentido de «drama familiar», no «drama para toda la familiar»), que del promedio saca solamente el excelente Christian Bale (un papel similar al de Harsh Times. Vidas Al Límite). Una película psicológicamente creíble y enfocada en actuación que no aporta nada nuevo al género de las relaciones de cámara, ni ofrece momentos dramáticos significativos. El papel pega bien con la vida real de Wahlberg, pero la película necesitaba en su lugar a un verdadero actor correspondiente al formato de Bale. (28.11.2011)

En los primeros minutos, pensé que Christian Bale merece cualquier premio que haya obtenido por su papel en esta película. La interpretación perfecta de una estrella del boxeo apagada que se ahoga en drogas y en la admiración local de sus compatriotas. Mellissa Leo lo complementa muy bien, Amy Adams lo clava como nunca antes y Mark Wahlberg es mi favorito, pase lo que pase con su actuación. De hecho, subrayo que Fighter es una película basada en actuaciones actorales destacadas, aunque el guión sea un poco más débil, lo cual no importa tanto al final. (31.08.2013)

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)

In crack fumes and in the smell of peroxide on boxing Olympus. The sympathetic, if inconsistent, synthesis of the Royck genre film with family-social drama, which has little idea which side to be on more, and thereby prefers to do the sure thing. Thanks to Bale and a very juicy finale, sympathy wins above all, although the question of why Aronofsky reached for a more effective grease from Tchaikovsky continues to bother me. The Fighter is simply a more modest and sympathetic substance. And not just because it's got balls. (21.02.2011)

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)