I went into this movie knowing only that it was about a boxing champion back in the era of the Great Depression. My dad and step-mom are avid boxing fans. I enjoy watching boxing, but I'm too cheap for HBO or PayPerView. As such, I pretty much only watch it when visiting my family in Reno. I didn't know the story of Jim Braddock. I knew only that it had Russel Crowe (Jim Braddock), one of my favorite actors, and that several of my friends had said they enjoyed it.
Not only did I enjoy it, I actually got excited. Toward the end I was on the edge of my seat silently rooting for Braddock. Hoping for the ending I logically knew had to happen, but worried there would be a twist (again I didn't know the story ahead of time). But it isn't the fight that made the movie.
What made the movie was how much you were able to relate to Braddock. In the beginning you can tell he is fighting for himself. He is providing for his family and is a good man, but there is pride in his fighting. After a series of injuries he is on the outs with the boxing commission and his family is living in poverty. Braddock is trying to survive the Great Depression working on the docks. He is skipping eating so his daughter can have his slice of bologna. Eventually he gets on public assistance (welfare) and begs from the commission and his former manager to raise enough money to support his family. Every step of the way you see what a good honorable man he is. As a father I was totally able to understand the pain of seeing his family struggling. After being brought out of forced retirement for a couple of fights, Braddock even pays back his public assistance money. Further showing what an honorable man he was. Braddock's wife Mae, played by Rene Zellweger, is equally as good and strong of character.
You go through the movie finding yourself really liking the characters and feeling like you have a vested interest in their well being. That is a testament to Crowe and Zellweger's acting. Both delivered amazing performances, as did Paul Giamatti. The movie was beautifully filmed, well directed and the fights were choreographed excellently. There is very little in the film I can find fault in.
I would highly encourage you to see this movie. It has something for both adult men and women. I would not recommend letting kids watch it as the fights are brutal and there is a lot of blood. I give it a 9 / 10.
Not only did I enjoy it, I actually got excited. Toward the end I was on the edge of my seat silently rooting for Braddock. Hoping for the ending I logically knew had to happen, but worried there would be a twist (again I didn't know the story ahead of time). But it isn't the fight that made the movie.
What made the movie was how much you were able to relate to Braddock. In the beginning you can tell he is fighting for himself. He is providing for his family and is a good man, but there is pride in his fighting. After a series of injuries he is on the outs with the boxing commission and his family is living in poverty. Braddock is trying to survive the Great Depression working on the docks. He is skipping eating so his daughter can have his slice of bologna. Eventually he gets on public assistance (welfare) and begs from the commission and his former manager to raise enough money to support his family. Every step of the way you see what a good honorable man he is. As a father I was totally able to understand the pain of seeing his family struggling. After being brought out of forced retirement for a couple of fights, Braddock even pays back his public assistance money. Further showing what an honorable man he was. Braddock's wife Mae, played by Rene Zellweger, is equally as good and strong of character.
You go through the movie finding yourself really liking the characters and feeling like you have a vested interest in their well being. That is a testament to Crowe and Zellweger's acting. Both delivered amazing performances, as did Paul Giamatti. The movie was beautifully filmed, well directed and the fights were choreographed excellently. There is very little in the film I can find fault in.
I would highly encourage you to see this movie. It has something for both adult men and women. I would not recommend letting kids watch it as the fights are brutal and there is a lot of blood. I give it a 9 / 10.
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