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Created Mar 14, 2011 01:01PM PST • Edited Mar 14, 2011 01:04PM PST

1. Quality

2. Summary

   Really Great 4.5

   The Fighter delivers a knockout punch, telling the story of a “Irish” Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg), and his tumultuous relationship with his older half-brother and trainer Dicky (Christian Bale) While the movie’s title focus is on Micky, the more compelling story told is that of Dicky, a former boxer whose life has now sunk into drugs and crime. While Micky struggles to gain respect and wins to reach a title fight, Dicky struggles to control his addiction enough to train his brother, and hopefully gain respect again in a boxing world that has turned its back on him.

   Bale is exceptional is his portrayal of the drugged out brother trying to be a part of Micky’s life. His complete lack of physical coordination and inability to keep appointments because of the drug use that has overtaken his life is heartbreaking. In his core, he wants to be there for his brother, but his addictions keep him grounded in despair.

   Equally notable in the film are the portrayal of the close-knit, yet very dysfunctional mother and sisters, who become so henpecking, that Micky is almost embarrassed by their zeal to ride his coat tails. The sister’s inability to separate from an over controlling mother Alice (Melissa Leo), helps create a vortex of familial despair that Micky must face to realize his full potential. As the saying goes, “you can pick your friends, but you can’t pick your family.”

   A great film with an award winning acting job by Leo and Bales, who both won Oscars. Deserved praise and honor for a film that is worthy of such praise.

4. Acting

   Really Great 4.5

5. Male Stars Really Great 4.5

   Bale’s performance is spell-binding as the dysfunctional and drug addicted brother. Lost in much of the film’s praise is the intensity brought to the screen by Wahlberg, who gives a commendable performance in his own right.

6. Female Stars Really Great 4.5

   Leo was spot-on in her role as the mother with her own agenda. Amy Adams is solid, but not spectacular in my opinion, as the love interest of Micky.

7. Female Costars Really Great 4.5

   The sisters of the two boys are wonderful. As they seems to move and hunt in a pack, they collectively recieve praise from me, in spite of the limited specific dialogue they have.

8. Male Costars Really Great 4.5

10. Film

    Great 4.0

11. Direction Great 4.0

    David O. Russell presents the story in a way that balances a good sports story with a great personal interest story. That can be difficult to do, and he succeeds.

12. Play Great 4.0

    Enough boxing scenes to keep the sports fan interested.

13. Music Great 4.0

14. Visuals Great 4.0

    Very nicely captires the grittiness of the profession, along with the bleakness of it’s characters.

15. Content

16. Edge

    Sordid 2.6

17. Sex Titillating 1.7

    No nudity, but scenes of sex.

18. Violence Fierce 2.3

19. Rudeness Nasty 3.9

    Drug addiction, boxing, and dysfuntional families….a hodgepodge of fighting.

21. Reality

    Natural 1.0

22. Circumstantial Natural 1.0

23. Biological Natural 1.0

24. Physical Natural 1.0