A Rocky knockoff this is not. The only similarity is that this movie also features boxing, everything else is in a whole other league. Obviously, the acting is fantastic - mainly Bale's take on the slimy "Dicky" character, for which he developed mannerisms I'd never seen from him before, as well as doing his usual physical transformation - but also from everyone else, including the secondary characters. Of course, this was greatly helped by how well-developed every character was in the script; they really did feel like real people, with real motivations and real reactions. In addition, the top-notch script and story were backed up by imaginative cinematography (I dug the "TV-look" of the fighting scenes) and a wonderful sense of pacing. Basically, this is classic Oscars material... in the good way. And seriously... stop comparing it to Rocky. This is streets ahead.
Eric's Reviews
About
- I watch a ton of movies and TV Shows and play a ton of games, which is rather unproductive. So, I have decided to review as many things as I can, to at least get something that might be useful to others out of it. Sorry if I end up bashing a movie you like, as I'm in critic mode when I write here. In reality, I can enjoy every movie, even zero star ones! Hope you enjoy the site!