CINDERELLA MAN

Lots of movies have been made about boxers, and lots of movies have been made about boxers overcoming the odds, or being the underdog. "Cinderella Man" however, is unique. I am a massive sports fan, and I believe that sports are important to the history and tradition of America. But, for the most part, sports films bother me. The majority of them are basic and unsuccessful in their attempts to include dynamic characters and properly display emotion on screen. "Cinderella Man" on the other hand, achieves these goals, and it is because boxing in this movie is essentially a minor aspect of the story. I love this movie not because of all of the action between men punching each other in a ring, but because it provides us with a rich story and authentic characters who are easy to enjoy, and easy to root for.

Russell Crowe is his usual excellent self in his role as James J. Braddock, a past-his-prime boxer who like the rest of the world, has been brought to his knees by the Great Depression. The audience sees Braddock go from a position of glamour and triumph, to begging for any work he can get alongside the common man. Braddock is almost too good to be true as a character, as he is a humble, hard working family man who has very few moments of weakness throughout the film. Crowe superbly portrays someone who, simply put, is a good man. Mae Braddock, the boxer's wife, brought to screen by Renee Zellweger, must do her best to raise the couple's children while there is no longer an illustrious boxing career to put food on the table. Moments of levity in the film are brought to screen via the best performance of Paul Giamatti's career, as he plays Joe Gould, the foul mouthed, sardonic manager and trainer who attempts to bring Braddock back into the world of boxing and launch the second half of his career. Gould is easily the film's most entertaining character, providing witty dialogue and an unforgettable excitable demeanor.

Much the early plot of the film is, fittingly, depressing. Director Ron Howard's most powerful scene in delivering Braddock's overall sense of defeat comes when the character is forced to beg his former employers in the New York boxing business for money so that he can pay his family's electric bill. Viewers feel for Braddock in this scene, and it, more than any scene directly related to boxing, makes you really root for the character. Crowe and Giamatti are the perfect pairing for their roles, and their friendship, which comes across strongly in this scene, is one of the best things about this movie.

The term "'feel-good' movie" is cliché and grossly overused, but as "Cinderella Man" progresses, that is undoubtedly what it becomes. One of my favorite things about this movie is that once things get good for Braddock, they get really good. Seeing the "Bulldog of Bergen" kick ass again is refreshing, and his final opponent in the film, Max Baer, is so arrogant and perfectly hate-able that you almost wish Braddock would send his head flying into the Madison Square Garden crowd. But as I stated earlier, this movie really isn't about boxing. I see Braddock's career in the ring as a simple yet effective metaphor for every blue collar American man during this period in history. As a viewer, you're not pulling for Braddock to win a fight against one man, rather you're pulling for him to win a fight for his family, against all of the circumstances which the Depression has stacked against them. Russell Crowe brings Braddock forward in a way which stresses the importance of being an honorable and great man, over being a great boxer.

RATING: 9/10