Quick Review of Cinderella Man

To be honest, I’ve never been a big boxing movie fan. I love films, most any kind, but I just can’t get into boxing movies. I am fascinated by the sport, especially boxing from the golden age before it became the father of modern, admittedly ridiculous, wrestling. While the latter is less of a sport and more of a form of entertainment, I can’t believe that any of the steroid-pumped badly named professional wrestlers would last very long if put against a real boxer. I hold high respect for the old boxers of the depression era, those who had to put themselves in the ring more than they should just so they could feed their families. It must have been hell to be the wife of a boxer, like Mae Braddock, knowing that at any time her husband could come home permanently disabled or not come back at all. That terrible strain is what made Cinderella Man so interesting and captivating.

It’s obvious that Mae and Jim have a strong relationship, even if it is tested by his chosen profession. Cinderella Man, with it’s great director and fantastic cast, shows the dynamic between the two perfectly. They obviously love each other very much, but Mae goes through a lot of stress because of Jim. That their relationship lasts in the end is a promising sign, it’s always nice to see a woman stand by her husband and honor his decisions. Even when their relationship hit a rocky spot, Jim was always looking out for his children and wife.

Ron Howard really knows how to create a strong movie. He understands how to handle actors like Russell Crowe and Renee Zellweger. Zellweger typically annoys me onscreen; she has a permanent angry face. In this film, however, she appeared sincerely concerned for her husband; her angry face was put to good use. Paul Giamatti is a personal favorite of mine, and I thought he was quite convincing as a coach who genuinely believed in his star client and he brought a great energy to the screen. I don’t know who worked harder during the fight scenes, Crowe or Giamatti. Russell Crowe himself was a good choice for Jim Braddock, although I could also see Clive Owen in the role.

Cinderella Man was a story of triumph, and some points seemed reminiscent of Jack London’s “A Piece of Steak”. Every time Jim mentioned how much he would love to have two big steaks, I laughed. Though boxing movies aren’t really my favorite genre, I did enjoy this one quite a bit. The fight scenes were very well choreographed and it was hard to tell when Crowe actually got hurt and when he was acting. The actors brought as much to the screen as the director and real professional boxers.

I haven't been able to write too much, but this is the most recent film I've watched and I rather enjoyed it. I also would like to post something before the next two days fly by, as I'll probably spend my time packing and then too many hours making my way across the east coast. Oh well, could be worse, I could have school right after Thanksgiving.