|
|
  
Back Shelf Beauties
|
Cinderella Man Lots of people expressed to me their dismay over yet another boxing movie coming to theaters, and I was almost in agreement with them. We just saw Million Dollar Baby, so what could Cinderella Man do for us? Well, Cinderella Man has a better ending, and might be one of the best movies of the summer. I guess I needed another reminder that you should never underestimate director Ron Howard and Russell Crowe. In this true story, Crowe stars as (and looks a great deal like) James Braddock - a formerly successful heavyweight fighter in his career's last days. Much like the country, the Braddock family is suffering during the Depression. James, his loving wife, Mae (Renee "Mrs. Chesney" Zellweger), and their three children live in a rundown one-room, basement apartment. The bills are piling up, there's not enough food to go around and Jim's career has taken a nosedive due to injuries and some devastating losses. Driven from the fight game and without any skills, Jim tries to find daily work on the docks, but it's not consistent and not enough to take care of his family. Just as the Braddocks' life seems to be entering its darkest hour, Jim gets one more fight. He has no chance of winning, and was selected at the last minute to fill in for an injured boxer, but it's enough to pay off the overdue bills and give the once great boxer a chance to say farewell on the big stage. Jim's ready to give it his best, but how good can his best be? Can he take advantage of one last shot at victory? Will Jim be able to avoid debilitating injury and death? Cinderella Man is the first Oscar contender of 2005, and one of the few movies where it's OK for a man to cry (it's about sports, so whip out that hanky, big guy). Howard and his team remarkably re-create the roaring 20's, as well as the downtrodden Depression days, and take the right amount of time to show us Braddock's height of success, his downfall parallel with the downfall of the entire country, and his inspirational attempts to rise up again. He re-creates devastating and brutal fight scenes to give the audience a feel for the challenge Braddock faced each time he got into the ring, and Howard shockingly shows us what injuries the fighters sustain during the bouts. These scenes are not aesthetically pleasing, but necessary. However, Cinderella Man is a personal emotional story and a tale of the underclass as much as it is a boxing film. Cinderella Man is about as old fashioned, sentimental and sappy as you can get, but that's why I love it. Director Ron Howard and writers Cliff Hollingsworth and Akiva Goldsman aren't afraid to tell an inspirational story with clear heroes and villains, and do so in a way that had me jumping for joy as the film moved towards its emotional climax. Hollingsworth and Goldsman's script speaks to anyone who has encountered difficulties and challenges that seemed impossible to overcome, and urges the audience to become as emotionally invested in Braddock as the characters in the film. The people in Cinderella Man all seem to have the attitude, "we can make it if he can," and his victories are our victories, which seeps into the audience as Crowe and Howard pull at our hearts. You can't say enough about Crowe's performance in the film. He captures the heart and soul of his heroic character, but doesn't feel like he's trying. It's a natural emotion that draws us in with raw, but honest feeling always played for the scene, character and story not for the audience or Oscar voters. He doesn't have to go into "big speech" mode to get our attention. Right along side him, Zellweger and Giamatti are wonderful supporting actors each filling their roles perfectly. At first glance, Mae might seem like the doting, loving wife stereotype, but Zellweger finds the right moments and scenes to show Mae's strength and how she is a marital partner who pushes Jim and fights for what she thinks is right. Granted, it's not a showstopping performance, but she's a good actress making the most of the role. Giamatti, while often providing some well-placed comic relief with a character full of life and grandiose style, also shows us how Joe Gould, Braddock's manager, cares about the fighter in ways managers might not. Cinderella Man is not your typical summer movie, but it's a welcome addition to the cineplex nonetheless. 4 Waffles (Out Of 4) Copyright 2005 - WaffleMovies.com
|
