Film: Cindarella Man

Film: Cinderella Man

"The impact of this film on the viewer is as powerful as Rocky and Million Dollar Baby. While all three films have boxing and love of the underdog as a common theme, this movie is much more. The backdrop of the movie is Depression-era America around NYC. And you are taken back to this depressing and hopeless time of willing, hard-working, idle, discouraged, poor people.

The threesome of Russell Crowe, as the fighter Braddock, and Renee Zellweger, as his wife, and Paul Giamatti, as his manager were Academy-Award worthy. They professionally played their parts and let the story be the real star.

Braddock is a down-on-his-luck aging and hurt boxer who can no longer box and can no longer find enough work to support his wife and three kids. By a twist of fate, he is given another chance to fight, and his career begins again.

Braddock and his wife display low-key dignity and honor that we wish we all had. They are good spouses, parents, neighbors and citizens without "showing off." While this is a serious drama, it has a lot of light humor throughout the picture that is entertaining and appropriate. Director Ron Howard does a wonderful storytelling job and has kept directorial tricks to a minimum. The fight scenes were the most real I have seen in any movie.

This is film-making at its best"

Best boxing film ever!!!

Million Dollar Baby was 10X better than this movie, IMHO.

While watching the movie I just had the overwhelming feeling that I'd seen the movie before at least a couple times. I could have predicted the outcome 15 minutes into the movie - could you do that with Million Dollar Baby?

I didn't think Braddock "hit bottom" hard enough, like he wasn't down on his luck enough to make the comeback so miraculous. I don't know what more it needed, but his daughter leaving wasn't enough for me.

I like the introduction of Max Baer. He seemed almost demonic in the initial fight footage. They seem to soften his image once he makes a presence in the flesh, he seems like the typical New York celebrity, and much less the bloodthirsty boxer.

rate it %)

thanks for changing the title from correct to a typo, are you trying to frame me? can't you see i'm a Words mod. i have a rep to keep up.



EDIT: oh yea, my thoughts on the movie: one of my favorite movies ever (well that i can remember, heh) definitely one of the more suspenseful and captivating.

though after reading a bit about Max Baer's character in the movie as opposed to his supposed real life character, i came across this:

"Garnering mixed reviews, some critics argued that part of Braddock's journey was glamorized too much by director Ron Howard. One example is that throughout the film, Max Baer (Braddock's final opponent at the climax of the movie) is portrayed in a hostile (and historically inaccurate) manner. The character of Baer in the movie is a straight villain who shows no remorse after killing men in the ring (the actual Baer was shaken by the deaths he caused, giving money to the families of his victims and not fighting as viciously in future bouts). Another example is that the movie does not reveal that Braddock's "upset" of Baer was a foregone conclusion since Baer was fighting with a broken right hand and could not have hit hard even if he had wanted to."

Though it doesn't really change my thoughts on the film itself, it makes me feel better about the thoughts i had on Max Baer as a person...

And I realized who his son was:


JETHRO!!! :D

where's the old thread?

I've seen better boxing movies but for what it is, I found it very entertaining. The period in which it's set also adds to the enjoyment

shorter version of what i wrote in the other thread

Great acting. Nice story. Paint by numbers directing.

Russell Crow is the man, good movie.