First Impressions

WAHEY, FIRST POST!
Technically my second, and also technically about three minutes after I posted 'realfirstpost' but this is something which doesn't involve me blabbering on about how this little beast was born.
This is a film review I was assigned to write in one of my uni units, Magazines & Markets which, if you're interested in, is giving us the down-low on how to write for specific publications, the different types of publications and their audiences...blah blah blah if you really wanna know more I'll send you my course handbook. The brief was to write a 500 word review, then to edit it down to 400.
I've reviewed The Fighter, which I went to see with my ex-boyfriend using a cheeky orange wednesday ticket ;)

Mark Wahlberg’s determined vision to tell the story of “local sports hero” boxer Micky Ward has resulted in a gritty and emotional display that is much more than just a sporting biopic.

The Fighter tells the tale of Irish-American boxer Micky Ward (Wahlberg) and his brother, former boxing champion Dicky Eklund (Christian Bale). Micky is living in the shadow of his brother’s historic success, and must fight not only his competitors but his family too in order to make a name for himself. Amy Adams co-stars as Micky’s love interest, Charlene Fleming.

The triumph over tragedy story is synonymous with the shaky start the movie had when production first began back in 2003. After Martin Scorsese turned down the job and Darren Aronofsky (The Wrestler) quit to film Black Swan, David O. Russell was chosen to direct. Wahlberg had already collaborated with the director twice before, on I Heart Huckabees and Three Kings.

 Trouble continued in the casting of Dicky Eklund, both Matt Damon and Brad Pitt had to drop out of playing the role due to scheduling conflicts. Wahlberg suggested Bale take the role after meeting the American Psycho Star at their children’s pre-school. Bale’s performance as the gaunt Eklund is another example of how thoroughly he engrosses himself in a character, he lost over a stone in order to achieve Dicky’s gaunt, hollow cheeked appearance. You become totally immersed in Dicky’s self-destruction as his drug-addled brain refuses to acknowledge that the glory days are over, and he spirals into a cocaine fuelled despair.

Wahlberg’s friendship Micky Ward led to him choosing to star in the film, as did their similar upbringings in large families from Massachusetts. Wahlberg underwent an intense bodybuilding and exercise regime to achieve Ward’s muscular physique, training for over four years. He also refused a stunt double to add to the movie’s realism, which nearly resulted in a broken nose numerous times.

While this may be dismissed as another violence packed sports film for the boys, the underdog story is one which many can identify with. The murky tone of the film is broken up by sparks of humour that will have you teetering between tears of despair and laughter. The plot is intensely gripping as it twists and turns with Micky’s successes and culminates in a fighting sequence that will have you cringing with every blow.

The Fighter is showing in cinemas nationwide.