Screen Junkies » The Fighter

Mark Wahlberg Producing Show About Boston’s Most Civilized Women

Wookie Johnson — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 20:36:07 +0000

Before he ships off to China for Transformers 4: The One That We Really Don’t Need, Mark Wahlberg is getting some more work done here in the good old U-S-of-A. More specifically, in Bawston. Inspired by the cartoonishly-trashy sisters in his film The Fighter, Wahlberg is executive producing a pilot order for A&E that will follow the real lives of four tough as nails, kooky, Boston bitches.

Although it’s just in the pilot stage right now, I urge A&E to move forward with the untitled Mark Wahlberg Boston Women Project. Why? Because it will be exactly like this:

Television needs more stuff like that. (Deadline)

Jeremy Renner To Dole Out ‘Bullshit’ With David O. Russell

Penn Collins — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 18:59:33 +0000

Matt Damon surrogate Jeremy Renner is in talks to replace Christian Bale in David O. Russell‘s next project, American Bullshit, a film with a title so scandalous that…well, no one really cares actually. The title is fine.

David O. Russell has been bouncing around projects like some sort of item that bounces a lot recently, but has apparently landed on this film in which Renner would play a con man who becomes the target of an FBI sting.

This is exciting for two reasons:

1. It affords a remarkable synergy between actor Jeremy Renner and director David Russell, whose stock is trading at an all-time high after the widely acclaimed The Fighter.

2. More importantly, it allows me to totally put a contextual swear word in the headline of this article with devil-may-care abandon.

Life is good, folks. Life is good.

David O. Russell Is In Trouble For Groping His Transgender Niece “Out Of Curiosity”

Penn Collins — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 18:00:47 +0000

Sometimes I wish I didn’t have to write a story, and I could just leave the headline hanging out there, especially when the whole story is told right there. Alas, there are pertinent details and context to worry about, so let’s learn the rest of the story.

Director David O. Russell (The Fighter, Three Kings) could be given the benefit of the doubt amid allegations that he groped his adopted sister’s (still doesn’t make it ok) transgender 19-year-old daughter. The two were working out last Friday, as uncles and transgender nieces so often do, when he noticed that hormone therapy had made her breasts bigger, as uncles somewhat less often do.

He then slid his hand under her shirt, reportedly with her permission to ensure that his actions weren’t making her uncomfortable, as if having one’s uncle massaging one’s nubile breasts could ever make one THAT uncomfortable.

Russell stated that the act was just out of curiosity, which doesn’t explain why he allegedly made his niece “pinky swear” not to tell anyone. Any time an uncle makes a niece or nephew pinky swear to anything, the police should be notified immediately.

Russell then reportedly went on to further ratchet up the creepy by oversharing with police that, since the hormone treatments, his niece “has become very provocative and seductive,” which may be a step backwards in his efforts to convince people he’s not huge into incest.

Russell’s camp “emphatically denies any wrongdoing,” except, presumably, for the act of groping your niece who is suffering from gender identity issues.

This should play out nicely.

(The Wrap)

In Honor Of Joe Frazier: Our 8 Favorite Boxers In Film

Penn Collins — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 18:51:37 +0000

Last night saw the passing of a boxing legend, Smokin’ Joe Frazier at the age of 67. Frazier’s story, like so many other boxing stories, was a remarkable one. Raised on a farm, he spent seven years beating on a homemade heavy bag hanging from an oak tree. He went on to win Olympic gold medals and heavyweight championships, becoming one of the most iconic figures in a sport filled with icons.

His career, like many others, was filled with vitriol and controversy, but upon news of his terminal struggle with liver cancer only a few days ago, the public and his contemporaries were quick to set aside their criticisms and differences in honoring this boxing legend.

In the wake of Smokin’ Joe’s passing, we offer up eight film fighters who’s fictional careers weren’t as rich and interesting as Frazier’s.

Rocky

Not going for subtlety here, folks. Rocky is one of the most beloved characters, not just in boxing movies, not just in American film, but possibly in American culture. As such, he gets the first spot on this list. If you don’t know why, please run, don’t walk to the video store (if one still exists by the time you read this) and rent Rocky I-IV.

The man trains by chopping wood and punching meat. He’s tenderizing as he trains! Also, he ended communism in Rocky IV, so we all owe him a pretty big debt of gratitude.

Jake LaMotta

Raging Bull’s Jake LaMotta is not a likeable character, but he sure is an enthralling one. His rage, coupled with his complex and flawed relationships with his own family, makes him a ticking time bomb who lives up to the title of the film. Based on the bio of Jake La Motta (notice the space), the film was widely praised, though the violent content served as something of a turn-off for many moviegoers.

Beyond that, Robert De Niro’s weight gain for this film remains the gold standard for physical transformations for a role (besides Fat Mac from Always Sunny, of course).

The Evolution of Boxing in Film

Breakstudios — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 20:00:23 +0000

Boxing scenes are an essential part of American film, but over the years the depiction of boxing within American movies has changed significantly. From parodies showing the silliness of two men swinging at each other to attempts at capturing the gruesome violence with hyper realism, directors over the years have tried to put their unique “spin” on the sweet science. Here are a few standout takes–from funny to frightening–one the old one-two. Now, I want a fair fight, touch gloves, FIGHT!

City Lights

Charlie Chaplin‘s City Lights may not be a “boxing movie” per se, but it does have at least one fantastic boxing scene, which takes place in the movie after Charlie’s Little Tramp wanders into a boxing venue after losing his job. And it might not be “realistic” per se, but it’s just as if not more entertaining than most more realistic boxing scenes in other movies. The Tramp uses some unorthodox methods in the ring, including hiding behind the referee. And the resulting scene is not only one of the funniest boxing scenes of all time, but one of the funniest comic set pieces of any kind ever filmed! The next time some guy at a party says boxing is just two idiots hitting each other, show him this boxing scene.

The Set-Up

One of the first movies to really depict the brutality of the sport in its boxing scenes–something we modern movie goers take for granted nowadays–and the fact this film was made in the 1940s definitely makes it worth checking out today. The boxing scenes in The Set-Up show punches landing and blood flowing in a way that was never seen outside of a real boxing ring. And that brutality isn’t just in the ring–the way director Robert Wise depicts the bloodthirsty members of the crowd is what really hits home. The boxing scenes may be violent, but they’re never violent enough for the people in the stands.

Rocky

Sylvester Stallone‘s breakout role, Rocky Balboa, is probably what most people think of when they hear “boxing movie.” Somewhat surprisingly, the slick and sometimes fake-looking boxing scenes in the Rocky movies aren’t exactly the best in the business–it’s arguable that most people are more responsive to Rocky’s quasi-triumph over adversity and his actual-triumph over his own weaknesses outside the ring. Still, no study of boxing scenes would be complete without Rocky, since they’ve been hugely influential on boxing scenes in movies and on TV in the years since then. And to all who say the boxing scenes “look fake”: We hope you never run into Stallone’s fists.

Raging Bull

Martin Scorsese’s Raging Bull famously only has about ten minutes of boxing scenes in it, but the pitch-perfect performances from Robert De Niro along with the just-as-perfect cinematography still qualifies it as perhaps the best boxing movie ever made. Scratch that — one of the best movies ever made, period. And the boxing scenes in it do not disappoint; each of Jake LaMotta’s matches have a strong visceral impact that makes the viewer feel like he’s in the ring — either sharing the glory of victory, or being pounded into a pulp. These boxing scenes have an expressionistic impact that’s never really been duplicated. Remember when Jake’s opponent gets his nose punched to the other side of his face? Scorsese shows no mercy at the sight of the blood spraying from his head. Or how about the torrent of blood that sprays all the way into the stands?! Hyperstyled? Sure, but name one realistic boxing scene that’s more powerful than the ones in Raging Bull? That’s what I thought.

The Fighter

As previously mentioned, different filmmakers who attempt to put their marks on boxing scenes try different approaches. In the case of David O. Russell, director of The Fighter, authenticity was the name of the game. The boxing scenes therein are designed to look as much like the original HBO broadcasts of the fights as possible, right down to using similar cameras to film the fights. Sometimes, Russell steps out of this TV-style in order to bring the viewer into the ring — particularly memorably for a super-slow-motion shot of a punch — but even then, realism and authenticity are the chief objectives. That and nailing those Boston accents, of course.

So there you have it. Luckily for any boxing scene fan, there are literally dozens more boxing movies to explore, and almost all of them have at least one boxing scene. And there are more coming out all the time. Just remember, kids, don’t try this at home.

R.I.P. Alice Ward aka ‘The Fighter’ Mom

Geoffrey Golden — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 02:45:19 +0000

Melissa Leo won an Oscar, and got to drop an Academy Award winning f-bomb, for her portrayal of boxing manager mom Alice Ward in The Fighter. In January, Ward had a cardiac arrest, and after a long bout with illness, died today at the age of 79 in a Boston hospital.

Ward was the fiesty mother of nine children, including boxers Dicky Eklund and “Irish” Mickey Ward, portrayed in the movie by Christian Bale and Mark Wahlberg. Both Bale and Leo gave Ward shout-outs in various awards speeches. Bale described her as “one tough cookie,” which is the nicest way possible to describe a fiery older woman. Science has proven this in several studies. (TheWrap)

Mark Wahlberg Is Practicing Beating The Crap Out Of People For ‘The Fighter’ Sequel

Wookie Johnson — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 22:37:30 +0000

Mark Wahlberg isn’t waiting around for a green light or even a script for a sequel to The Fighter. He’s already drinking Muscle Milk and chasing chickens in preparation for the maybe sequel.

“I got bit by the bug, and now I’m trying to plant the idea in everyone’s head that we should do — not five or six Fighters like Rocky — but one more because the big thing that Micky Ward was famous for was his three epic battles with Arturo Gatti. So we’re talking about possibly taking one more run at it.”

“I’ve got my sparring partner sitting right in front of me. We did about ten rounds yesterday. And in between shooting this movie [Contraband] that I’m doing, we had a couple of hours off while they shot another couple of scenes, so we flew back to the hotel, got in our boxing gear, boxed, took a shower, and went back to the set.”

Christian Bale is also hard at work on his regimen of smoking crack. (Entertainment Weekly)

David O. Russell’s ‘Nailed’ Screens Without His Knowledge

Wookie Johnson — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 13:41:08 +0000

Here’s a good idea. You’re the producer of a shelved project from which the writer/director has famously walked away. Suddenly, that director is enjoying a career high after his newest film has won multiple Oscar nominations and awards. Naturally, you try to get the failed project into theaters. Oh yeah. Also this director is known to fly into bouts of rage.

That’s exactly what’s happening with David O. Russell‘s Nailed. After money woes forced many production shutdowns, Russell washed his hands of it and moved on to The Fighter. Just a few nights ago producer David Bergstein held a test screening of the unfinished film without the cast and filmmakers knowledge.

The satirical health care comedy stars Jessica Biel as a small town waitress who gets a nail lodged in her head. She can’t afford to have it removed and it causes her to do crazy and impulsive things. She decides to head to D.C. to lobby for health care reform. While there, she becomes intimate with a congressman played by Jake Gyllenhaal and her crazy actions escalate.

The screening was said to be a bit of a mess. There were no cohesive elements to hold the scatter-shot scenes together and Russell’s name was spelled “David O’Russell” on the flyer (Damn you, Kinko’sssssss!!!!!). Still, producers are planning to push through for a distribution deal based on the strength of his name. In fact, the post-screening questionnaire asked viewers if Russell were the reason they attended. Personally, I think a cursory glance at a sentence containing the words “Jessica Biel” and “nailed” would be the best bet at getting asses in the seats. (Deadline)

Mark Wahlberg Doesn’t Want ‘The Fighter’ Gravy Train To Stop

Joseph Gibson — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 17:47:06 +0000

Last year’s The Fighter is one of the most acclaimed films of 2010, earning two Academy Awards for acting, and nominations for Best Picture and Best Director. So it only makes sense that Mark Wahlberg doesn’t want this feeling to end. At the Oscars red carpet, Mark Wahlberg told “Extra” that “[n]ow we’re gonna talk about doing No. 2. We’re gonna d the Ward /Gatti trilogy and make it real.”

That trilogy of course refers to the 3 fights that are only referred to briefly at the end of The Fighter. They’d make for a good movie, I guess, but I always wince at the notion of doing sequels to movies that stand so well on their own, like The Fighter does. We’ll see if Wahlberg is able to convince Christian Bale to lose all that weight again. (via The Playlist)

2011 Oscar Noms Are Here!

Wookie Johnson — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 13:08:24 +0000

All of Hollywood woke up early today to find out the nominees for the 2011 Academy Awards. Except for M. Night Shyamalan. He’s going to sleep in. And then eat some waffles that he later discovers are ghosts.

Without further ado, here are the nominees that will have to struggle to keep eye contact with co-host Anne Hathaway.

Best Picture

‘Black Swan’

‘The Fighter’

‘Inception’

‘The Kids Are All Right’

‘The King’s Speech’

‘127 Hours’

‘The Social Network’

‘Toy Story 3′

‘True Grit’

‘Winter’s Bone’

Best Director

Darren Aronofsky, ‘Black Swan’

David O’Russell, ‘The Fighter’

Tom Hooper, ‘The King’s Speech’

David Fincher, ‘The Social Network’

Joel and Ethan Coen, ‘True Grit’

Best Actor

Javier Bardem, ‘Biutiful’

Jeff Bridges, ‘True Grit’

Jesse Eisenberg, ‘The Social Network’

Colin Firth, ‘The King’s Speech’

James Franco, ‘127 Hours’

Best Actress

Annette Bening, ‘The Kids Are All Right’

Nicole Kidman, ‘Rabbit Hole’

Jennifer Lawrence, ‘Winter’s Bone’

Natalie Portman, ‘Black Swan’

Michelle Williams, ‘Blue Valentine’

Best Supporting Actor

Christian Bale, ‘The Fighter’

John Hawkes, ‘Winter’s Bone’

Jeremy Renner, ‘The Town’

Mark Ruffalo, ‘The Kids Are All Right’

Geoffrey Rush, ‘The King’s Speech’

Best Supporting Actress

Amy Adams, ‘The Fighter’

Helena Bonham Carter, ‘The King’s Speech’

Melissa Leo, ‘The Fighter’

Hailee Steinfeld, ‘True Grit’

Jacki Weaver, ‘Animal Kingdom’

Cinematography

Matthew Libatique,’Black Swan‘

Wally Pfister, ‘Inception’

Danny Cohen, ‘The King’s Speech’

Jeff Cronenweth,’The Social Network‘

Roger Deakins,’True Grit‘

Best Animated Feature Film

‘How to Train Your Dragon’

‘Illusionist’

‘Toy Story 3′

Best Foreign Film

Mexico – ‘Biutiful’

Greece – ‘Dogtooth’

Denmark – ‘In a Better World’

Canada – ‘Incendies’

Algeria – ‘Outside the law’

Best Original Screenplay

‘Another Year’

‘The Fighter’

‘Inception’

‘The Kids Are All Right’

‘The King’s Speech’

Best Adapted Screenplay

‘127 Hours’

‘The Social Network’

‘Toy Story 3′

‘True Grit’

‘Winter’s Bone’

Best Art Direction

‘Alice in Wonderland’

‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I’

‘Inception’

‘The King’s Speech’

‘True Grit’

Best Costume Design

‘Alice in Wonderland’

‘I Am Love’

‘The King’s Speech’

‘The Tempest’

‘True Grit’

Best Original Score

‘How to Train Your Dragon’ John Powell

‘Inception’ Hans Zimmer

‘The King’s Speech’ Alexandre Desplat

‘127 Hours’ A.R. Rahman

‘The Social Network’ Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross

Best Documentary

‘Exit through the Gift Shop’ Banksy and Jaimie D’Cruz

‘Gasland’ Josh Fox and Trish Adlesic

‘Inside Job’ Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs

‘Restrepo’ Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger

‘Waste Land’ Lucy Walker and Angus Aynsley

Best Film Editing

‘Black Swan’

‘The Fighter’

‘The Kings Speech’

‘127 Hours’

‘The Social Network’

Best Makeup

‘Barney’s Version’

‘The Way Back’

‘The Wolfman’

Best Sound Editing

‘Inception’

‘Toy Story 3′

‘TRON: Legacy’

‘True Grit’

‘Unstoppable’

Best Sound Mixing

‘Inception’

‘The King’s Speech’

‘Salt’

‘The Social Network’

‘True Grit’

Animated Short Film

“Day & Night”

“The Gruffalo”

“Let’s Pollute”

“The Lost Thing”

“Madagascar, carnet de voyage (Madagascar, a Jouney Diary)”

Live Action Short Film

“The Confession”

“The Crush”

“God of Love”

“Na Wewe”

“Wish 143″

Visual Effects

“Alice in Wonderland”

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1″

“Hereafter”

“Inception”

“Iron Man 2“

Critics Name ‘Social Network’ Best Picture, Nation Shocked

Geoffrey Golden — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 07:25:29 +0000

The Social Network took home the biggest prizes at the Critics Choice Awards tonight, to the surprise of absolutely no one. The film has “friended” many film critics, who gave The Social Network Best Director (David Fincher), Best Adapted Screenplay (Aaron Sorkin) and Best Score prizes. Again, this is about as shocking as Farmville requests flooding your feed.

Awards like these can be indicators of how the Oscars are gonna go. I thought The Social Network was terrific, but I’m pulling for Toy Story 3 to win Best Picture, just like director / noted foot fetishist Quentin Tarantino. Are industry types willing to give the prestigious title of “Best Picture” to the third film in a series about action figures who fight mean children and evil teddy bears? Hopefully! But as long as they can ghettoize Pixar films to the Best Animated movie category, Buzz and Woody’s Best Picture chances may end up in the incinerator. Also, remember how terrified you were during that scene? Yeah, that shit was crazy.

A little more interesting is Inception sleep-stealing the most awards of the evening with 6, but they’re mostly art direction awards, which means they’re entirely worthless. The Fighter pounded its way to two awards for Best Supporting Actor and Actress Christian Bale and Melissa Leo. Also, Natalie Portman won Best Actress for Black Swan. Wasn’t Mila Kunis going down on her enough of a reward?

Here’s the full list of winners from Cinema Blend:

Best Picture: The Social Network
Best Actor: Colin Firth, The King’s Speech
Best Actress: Natalie Portman, Black Swan
Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale, The Fighter
Best Supporting Actress: Melissa Leo, The Fighter
Best Young Actor/Actress: Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit
Best Acting Ensemble: The Fighter
Best Director: David Fincher, The Social Network
Best Original Screenplay: David Seidler, The King’s Speech
Best Adapted Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin, The Social Network
Best Cinematography: Inception
Best Art Direction: Inception
Best Editing: Inception
Best Costume Design: Alice in Wonderland
Best Makeup: Alice in Wonderland
Best Visual Effects: Inception
Best Sound: Inception
Best Animated Feature: Toy Story 3
Best Action Movie: Inception
Best Comedy: Easy A
Best Picture Made for Television: The Pacific
Best Foreign Language Film: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Best Documentary Feature: Waiting for Superman
Best Score: The Social Network

Directors Guild Nominates Directors For Directing

Joseph Gibson — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 19:24:35 +0000

Attention mythical creatures who care about the Academy Awards: What is commonly considered one of the last important indicators of Oscar nominations has finally been released from the Director’s Guild of America vault, which is presumably guarded by unpaid screenwriters who don’t receive proper credit for their work. Like literally every other critical body on the planet, the DGA likes David Fincher’s conspicuously serial-killer-free work on The Social Network and Christopher Nolan’s conspicuously magician-free work on Inception. Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan) also gets a nod for his technical expertise and his ability to seduce the audience with scenes of the hottest young female stars performing oral sex on one another, along with Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech) and David O. Russell (The Fighter). It might come as a surprise that Joel and Ethan Coen did not receive a nomination for True Grit, despite the fact that True Grit is the most conventionally Oscar-winner-like movie of their incredible career. Conventional wisdom would indicate that True Grit‘s absence from these nominees means its chances of getting an Oscar nomination are greatly diminished, but with the new Academy Award system of nominating 10 nominees instead of only 5, this might not be the case anymore.

Links Away: The Fighter Is Mark Wahlberg. Not You.

Reza F. — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 01:27:19 +0000

Just when you thought it might be you who in the fighter, Mark Wahlberg steps in to say it’s not you. Or you, Cookie Monster. (Buzzfeed)

These links are not you:

Weird Porn Laws From Around the World (Asylum)

Barstool NY Smokeshow of the Day (BarstoolSports)

Three-Second Kick K.O. At Jordanian MMA Event (CagePotato)

25 Creepy Ancient Idols (HolyTaco)

John Cusack’s The Raven Looks Hella Literal (FilmDrunk)

Jeff Bridges, Olivia Wilde Go Unscripted (MovieFone)

Victoria Justice is Jailbait-licious (CelebJihad)

Incredible Behind the Scenes Shots of Taxi Driver (Unreality)

Today’s Girl: Anna Faris (Maxim)

The 12 Worst Sports Movie Lies (MadeMan)

10 Really Bad Idead For a First Date (Smosh)

High School Basketball Player Attacks Referee (TotalProSports)

Usher Gets Kicked In the Face By Fan (TuVez)

The 20 Most Laughable Golden Globe Nominations of the Decade (Pajiba)

January Jones Bares All In New Versace Ads (PopEater)

The Top 13 Dumbest Lawsuits In Recent History (Ranker)

Amy Adams

Reza F. — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 18:58:37 +0000

Just who will Amy Adams be fighting in The Fighter? No one, because girl boxing is lame. Her unbridled cuteness, however, will surely make the film’s obligatory romantic scenes all the more worthwhile. Forget that Adrian chick — Amy is the troubled girl of a troubled boxer for the new era. Will she tame the unquenchable fire of testosterone-fueled rage in her man’s heart? Hard to say, but in any case it’ll be fun watching her try.

Watch This Spike Jonze Approved ‘The Fighter’ Trailer

Col. Longshanks — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 22:55:24 +0000

Director Spike Jonze really seriously for reals wants you to see his friend David O. Russell‘s The Fighter. He saw it and loved it, and doesn’t think that the original studio trailer does it justice. He even sent Peter over at /Film a letter regarding the matter:

Hey Peter -

Spike here. I’m writing on behalf of my friend David Russell, regarding his new movie The Fighter. Did you get a chance to see it yet? How insanely great is Christian Bale?

Can you do me a favor and post this 2 minute trailer called “Pressure” on your site?

The trailer that they put out originally makes the film feel a little generic and I just want to help David get the word out. I got to see it a few weeks ago, and I loved it, and if all you saw is the trailer that’s out, you might not know that it’s as interesting and strong as it is.

Thanks for your help!
Spike

I was already looking forward to seeing The Fighter before watching the above trailer, and don’t see how it differs that much from the original one. But hey, I’ll do whatever I can to keep O. Russell from calling Spike a c*nt.

Serious Family Drama Behind ‘The Fighter’

Fred Topel — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 18:18:21 +0000

The Fighter is the story of how boxer Irish Mickey Ward overcame his family problems to be a champion. The drama could have started all over again for the filmmakers when they go the Ward family involved with the story. Director David O. Russell was dredging up Ward’s mom Alice’s emotional manipulation and his older brother Dickie Eklund’s crack addiction for the sake of drama.

“I didn’t know what to expect when I first saw the family,” Russell said. “I thought they might be some very harsh people that I wouldn’t want to spend ten minutes with. Because I remember hearing about Mickey Ward. Then when I saw him and I heard him talk, I was like, ‘Oh, my god. He sounds much rougher than I expected.’ I expected some sweet talking Oscar De La Hoya type. The fact is, the people are so unbelievably lovable. I still hang out with them. That’s what goes into the movie. That’s the only thing that goes in the movie.”

The film doesn’t dwell on Dickie’s addiction any more than necessary to show that he ultimately got clean, but Eklund still had some opinions for Christian Bale, who portrayed him.

“There were a couple of times I had to physically restrain Dickie from going and landing one right on David,” Bale said. “We had some initial interesting times when we were rehearsing in Mark [Wahlberg]’s house, where Mark very nicely put up Mickey and Dickie, and actually they lived at his house for some time. There were some script changes going on, and Dickie wasn’t initially totally understanding that sometimes in putting a whole life into two hours, a little bit of license has to be taken and mixing things up. He wanted everything initially to be absolutely how it was portrayed. And if it wasn’t, there was a couple of times he would say, ‘I’m gonna go and I’m gonna get him.’ So there’s a couple of times I’d be going, ‘No, no, no.’ Then we’d talk and David would talk with him and I’m not sure if you ever had to stop him from coming and laying one on me.”

As Mickey Ward, Wahlberg was on the line more than just for acting. He produced the movie too. During four years of development hell, the Wards and Eklund’s came down on Wahlberg.

“It was just out of sheer desperation for getting the movie made,” Wahlberg said. “I had already promised Mickey, Dickie, Alice, Charlene, everybody else involved, that we were going to get this movie made. It seemed at first glance like it was a no brainer. I mean, amazing parts, what a wonderful story, a really new and interesting world that you’re not that familiar with. It just wasn’t meant to be, so we just had to grab a hold of it and force it to happen with sheer will and determination. Very much like Mickey’s journey to winning the title, you know, he just had to go and make it happen.”

Melissa Leo plays Alice Ward, and she faced the real deal in her preparations. “Upon meeting her, saw immediately my mother’s mother, my maternal grandmother in Alice,” Leo said. “[I] knew then that I have her in here somewhere. Then with Mark Bridges’ help, and Johnny [Villanueva] who did the hair, with David saying, ‘Shorter, shorter, shorter’ with every haircut, and Trish Heine, who did my makeup, finally found Alice and walked in her shoes. It was a thrill to walk out of the trailer and have half a world go, ‘Oh, Alice! Oh, you look my mother!” So that was great.”

The Fighter opens Dec. 10.

The Fighter

admin — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 01:12:56 +0000

Director: David O. Russell

Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Melissa Leo, Jack McGee

Synopsis: A look at the early years of boxer “Irish” Micky Ward and his brother who helped train him before going pro in the mid 1980s.

Release Date: December 10th, 2010

Review: The Fighter

Fred Topel — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 16:33:07 +0000

The secret screening at AFI Film Festival was the long awaited boxing drama The Fighter. Mark Wahlberg waited four years to make this movie and it was a lot for me to take. I mean, I can handle death and despair. That’s a good time at the movies. You give me an abusive family and that’s just hopeless.

Mickey Ward (Wahlberg) is an up and coming local boxer. His brother Dickie Eklund (Christian Bale) trains him and his mom, Alice (Melissa Leo) is his manager. Dickie is a crackhead and Alice is turning down paying offers for Mickey out of family loyalty, so they’ve totally got his best interests at heart.

This is really a drug movie disguised as a boxing movie. Dickie is really strung out and he’s destroying his whole family. It’s a slice of life, but a heavy drinking, hard living slice. They could pass, maybe, if you don’t go in their house, but the Wards are really sick and dangerous people. Bale is all Machinist up in here. Dickie is acting up when he’s happy. Imagine how he gets when things aren’t going well.

The threat Alice feels when Mickey gets opportunities on his own is really disturbing. It’s like “I want what’s best for you until you disagree.” It’s the sad story you see so often where someone thinks control is the same as love and respect. You want to kill your sons, keep doing what you’ve been doing the past nine years. How many failures before you accept you’re not good for him?

It’s really depressing for me to see people stuck with the bad decisions of others. There’s no catharsis or triumph over adversity to me. Maybe you get to a point where they clean up and aren’t constantly damaging to you, is existing the best we can offer? No actual relationship, just hope for non-destruction?

It takes another woman, Charlene (Amy Adams) to support Mickey. It’s still scary how dangerous Mickey’s family is. I guess the story is ultimately how they all made peace, but that doesn’t comfort me. Even Mickey’s support gets controlling of him. I guess it all breeds itself over and over. That really messes with me because I needed Mickey to have some trust in his life.

There’s also some boxing. David O. Russell really builds those rousing moments. It’s subtle within that whole family drama, but you are cheering for Mickey. Fights are filmed with TV cameras, only you see them in widescreen. Russell has a few other interesting visual techniques for creating a scene.

The Fighter is good. It tells its story and everyone involved really sells it. It’s a story that’s so hard for me to take, I’ll never watch it again. If I’d known how emotionally abusive his family was, I might have braced myself. It just makes me appreciate that I get to live on my own and be my own person with my family. This behavior is tragic.

‘The Fighter’ Trailer #2

Reza F. — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 16:04:45 +0000

Paramount aired a new trailer for David O. Russell’s The Fighter last night during the season finale of”Mad Men.” It’s for all dem high brow smarts peoples out there who love a good underdog Oscar bait film. Saying this movie is Oscar bait isn’t meant as a dig. I’m actually very excited to see it even though it’s not the most groundbreaking take on a boxer movie. Everyone in the cast looks like they’re on their game, especially Christian Bale who never fails to transform himself into a batsh*t crazy mess. I know nothing more about his performance than what I’ve seen in the trailer, but I’m calling his Supporting Actor nomination right now. The Academy loves it when actors lose weight and hair.

Check out the trailer below.

(Deadline)

‘The Fighter’ Trailer Wants Your Oscar Vote

Reza F. — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 00:20:00 +0000

_{Win by Technical Derp-out.}

The trailer has dropped for David O. Russell‘s The Fighter starring Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams. Holy crap does this movie look like Oscar bait, and not necessarily in a bad way. The trailer alone had me quickly transitioning through a range of emotions. My work desk is currently covered in tears, blood, and Jujubes. I secreted the first two.

The film follows boxer “Irish” Micky Ward and his brother who helped train him before going pro in the mid-1980s. It’s just your average gu fighting the good fight to fight in the fighting ring, and of course in life. Also, check out Amy Adams as a take-no-sh*t bartender. Give her sass and she’ll claw your eyes out.

The Fighter steps into theaters December 10, 2010.

Check out the trailer after the jump…

The Fighter Trailer – Watch more Movie Trailers