The Fighter

With two heavy hitters and years of preparation, The Fighter managed to be solid but underwhelming. The Fighter tells the inspiring story of Mickey Ward (Wahlberg), a working-class man, and his crack-addict has-been brother Dick Eklund (Bale). Despite its basis in a true story, the movie plays on a variation of the favorite theme: wrestling hero gets a beat down, then rises to glory. What else is new?

It's always tricky when a movie has two megawatt actors in leading roles. It works when a) the actors aren't in the same scenes or b) it's not painfully obvious that one is a much better actor. Bale steals the show with his frenetic crack-induced energy, and simply overpowers Mark Wahlberg's character. In a bit of miscasting/bad direction, Mickey is a quiet character, the younger brother who diligently and continuously sacrifices for his family. Wahlberg fades off the screen (except for the fight scenes), and doesn't portray the boxer convincingly. As an actor, Wahlberg is best in short and explosive roles. Sustained and introspective just seems alien to his being. The entire cast overwhelms him; His shrill mother Alice (an excellent Melissa Leo), his many white trash, bad-haired sisters, and Charlene, his girlfriend (a surprisingly good Amy Adams). Mickey's reticence unbalances the movie when the rest is so loud.

The movie's ambitiousness became a crutch when the two plotlines failed to connect at the end. For a good hour of the movie, it seemed like I was watching a plea against illegal drug use in the US rather than a lesson on family. This lack of focus supported by Bale's overacting and Wahlberg's underacting detracted from the overall feel of the picture. At times, the struggle for the right tone and the right message bubbling up on the screen was almost painful. The Fighter had some potential, but didn't quite pull through.