I first posted about this not quite three years ago: Mark Wahlberg playing boxer Micky Ward in “The Fighter,” with either Brad Pitt or Matt Damon as his brother Dickie Ecklund! Darren Aronofsky of “The Wrestler” and “Requiem for a Dream” directing! Awesome!
Then Aronofsky couldn’t do it either. Looks like it won’t happen at all…but wait! Christian Bale is on board as Dickie, with David O. Williams of “Three Kings” and “I <3 Huckabees” directing! Wahlberg has had four years to train and looks great! Bale looks like shit! Awesome!
So this movie has sort of become my own personal “Duke Nukem Forever,” and is finally being released tomorrow. With a buildup like that, there’s no way I can be disappointed! Right? Right?
Right, probably. It’s 87% at Rotten Tomatoes, and is very much a player this awards season, with at least a few Oscar nominations still to come. People like it, and people especially like Christian Bale.
I missed a free screening of it a couple of weeks ago because I had to work late but I had planned to pay to see it anyway so it’s not a big deal. I might see it tomorrow after The King’s Speech.
Sonofamothereffer! I was even looking at his name on his IMDB entry when I typed that! :smack:
Good news. I was prepared to deal with disappointment, but it looks like it’s going to actually be good. Apparently the actual boxing scenes are good as well, and it’s about time. I read a quote from actor Omar Epps a while back: " I like boxing movies. One of the hardest things for me to watch as far as boxing films, is the boxing. The actual boxing usually sucks." Unfortunately, he’s right - the boxing scenes are usually pretty weak. Ward had some pretty gruesome fights - conveying that on the screen would be the Saving Private Ryan of boxing films.
