Cinderella Man
I forgot to mention that we rented two movies this past Saturday. One was Cinderella Man, and the other was the Fantastic Four.
I’ll start with the Fantastic Four, which has got to be one of the lamest movies ever. I fell asleep watching it, and I’m not the easy-fall-asleeper.
We had wanted to go see this movie at the theatre, and when we went, we forgot which one it was (because we had also wanted to see War of the Worlds) and ended up accidentally going to see War of the Worlds.
You’ll remember that I thought that movie was really bad. Well, I’m happy as a goat that we didn’t spend the big bucks to see Fantastic Four at the theatre, cuz I would have walked out of there angry. Really, really bad acting in what we thought would be a ‘fun’ movie.
Luckily for us we also rented Cinderella Man, which I didn’t want to see because I figured it would be one of those meaningful movies which I don’t like. However, I did like it.
It’s the true story of boxer James J. Braddock (Russell Crowe), a heavyweight contender from New Jersey nicknamed “the Bulldog of Bergen,” who lost his fame and fortune during the Great Depression only to win the hearts of the downtrodden during a spectacular comeback.
Crowe is masterful as Braddock, with Renee Zellweger playing his wife, and Paul Giamatti as his loyal friend and manager, Joe Gould. The sharply observed script devotes a significant amount of screen time to the domestic struggles of Braddock’s family; developing character and place with a wealth of period detail, so when the comeback starts, the payoff is enormous.
The matches themselves are unforgettable: raw, intense, riveting, with more than a passing stylistic nod to Martin Scorsese’s groundbreaking 1980 film, Raging Bull.
Though it may sound a bit formulaic, one should remember that this is the true and “original” underdog boxer story from which all others hail, and it’s riveted together with true craftsmanship.
Ron Howard has a real skill for plucking audience members’ heartstrings, and the performances are first-rate. Giamatti and Crowe play off each other in a rapport perfectly suited to their roles, especially at the ring, where the one’s manic intensity makes a perfect contrast to the other’s warrior grace.
If you liked Million Dollar Baby, you’ll probably like this one – a crying, chick flick type of movie, only with some boxing scenes. Yes, that was me yelling, “go go go go go!” when he was boxing the obnoxious, Max Baer (relative to Jethro).
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idiotonastick
Minna
Dave Barker
I used Moneris for over two years. I recently terminated due to a merchant compliance requiremen t – Moneris began...
Maria
just another
Female, taken, fire, Sagittarius, Monkey, Toronto, two kids, one grandson, IT.
55
is the new 30. I want the world to close their mouths when they’re eating or chewing gum. If they don’t, I want to elbow them in the face.
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