Partner and I saw “The Fighter” on Sunday. Partly it's because I have a, hmm, thing for Mark Wahlberg. I saw him on the cover of Sports Illustrated last week, wearing nothing but boxing trunks and a smile. I nearly passed out.
But I also kind of like boxing movies. It's the only subgenre of sports movies I enjoy. Basketball movies are dull, with the exception of “Space Jam”; high-school and college sports movies feel like after-school specials; football movies are usually goofy comedies like “The Whole Nine Yards.” And let's not even talk about baseball movies, they're so bloody reverent. My favorite movie reviewer, Libby Gelman-Waxner, made it a general rule: “Anytime I hear someone say 'This movie's not about baseball, it's about life,' you can be absolutely sure the movie's about baseball.”
Why boxing? Why boxers? Here are some theories:
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Actors who play boxers are usually handsome and in pretty good shape, and are thus nice to look at. (In real life, getting hit repeatedly does not do wonders for your looks).
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They disrobe frequently.
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It's fun watching them work out.
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They are a rich source of “My boyfriend can beat up your boyfriend” fantasies.
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They look so sad and vulnerable after the fight, sitting in the locker room with black eyes and bruises and bandages on their faces. They look like they need Mommy to take care of them.
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Some things are always the same: the early (losing) bouts, the training montage, the awkward love scenes, the big final match. These are very convenient for bathroom / snack breaks, as you won't miss too much if you time yourself carefully.
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They are full of delightfully quotable dialogue like “I hit people for a living, Ma! I'm a loser!” and “I gotta get back in there, Joe! I gotta get back in the ring!” and “Get up! Get up, you bum!”
Also: this was a very good movie. Mark Wahlberg is really an excellent actor. Christian Bale is funny and crazy and sad. Amy Adams explodes her sweet-girl persona into smithereens. And there's a supporting cast to die for, and the small-town Massachusetts setting is captured just right, and the writing is clever and dramatic and interesting.
Go see it, you lousy bums.
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