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Why are we infatuated with sports? We know Michael Jordan wore 26, we know the Dolphins were 17-0. Ask someone who the 29th President was? Who won the first Nobel Prize? Um... actually, anyone know the answer these? See what I mean? So why are we infatuated with things this trivial? Simple; excellence. Athletes harken back to the days of Achilles, Miyamoto Musashi, and a host of others. Men (Sorry ladies, but it was mostly men back then) who stretched their body and soul to perfection to become the best.
Unfortunately, in the real world, compromises abound when you try to reach a goal. You can't get this job because it means moving your family. Can't go to this college because it costs too much. Notice the word 'can't' comes up a lot. For the athlete the goal is clear, and the path to get there is the stuff mythology is made of. And then there are the underdogs. The US Hockey Team. Buster Douglas. All examples of moments where 99 times out of a hundred, THE OTHER SIDE will win... but just once... the stars are right, the gods and goddesses smile, magic happens, and the underdog wins. Such is the story of Jim Braddock. Before Buster Douglas cold-cocked Mike Tyson, before the rope-a-dope by Ali against Foreman, there was Braddock versus Max Baer. It's the type of story that becomes legend and naturally had to become a movie. After years of development, the combination of Akiva Goldman and Chris Hollingsworth, Ron Howard, and Russell Crowe brought this story to life. So is it the best sports fillm ever? Well, that might be the problem. Just the same, this is an amazing film.
One of the elements which stands out is Ron Howard's recreation of the US during The Depression. Government assistance lines. The shantytowns. People fighting for any job anywhere. All of these moments immerse you into this world turned upside down, literally. Sure, you hear those loooooooooong stories from assorted septuagenarians about what it was like... but to SEE it, and also to see people interact in that moment... that breaks your heart. There is a scene where Renee Zellwegger and the Braddock clan destroy a wooden fence. Ok, what's with the vandalism? Then you realize it's WOOD, they need firewood. The reality of the scene hits you like a sledgehammer.
In addition the fight-scenes are amazing. Sure, you've seen 'Rocky', but that's like saying 'Top Gun' is a great way to understand fighter combat. In this case, rather then the usual pro-wrestling feel of a fight, Ron Howard gives you a multitude of close-ups and funky angles to see the brutal yet noble battle of boxing.
Next is the magic of Russell Crowe and Paul Giamatti. Say what you want about Crowe, but he has an amazing talent for creating outstanding chemistry with his co-stars. Whether it was the stellar cast of 'LA Confidential', two turns with Paul Bettany, and now with Giamatti, Crowe works very well with his partners. Crowe's down-on-his-luck but valiant Braddock is a great counter-point to the wise-cracking, fast-thinking Gould, Braddock's trainer.
Finally the story is what these sports moments are made of. Hollingsworth and Goldman paint a picture of a fighter who's really a nice guy, but like everyone else in The Depression he looses everything. The film follows his journey going from a top-ranked fighter living the good life to living in a tiny basement flat where they can't afford to pay for heat. As the story progresses Braddock becomes more and more desperate, until the one fight comes up. Gould signs up Braddock for what is an 'easy' fight for another contender. Instead, after years of being away from the fight game, Braddock gets his touch, legs, and his instincts back. Braddock lives up to his 'Cinderella Man' moniker as he slowly fights his way to a championship bout.
Cont. on p. 2