The Fighter

David O Russell's latest film, The Figther, tells the story of "Irish" Micky Ward's early boxing years. The film focuses on his relationship with his brother Dicky Eklund, his mother, Alice, and his seven sisters and how they influenced his boxing career early on.

Mark Wahlberg plays the Micky Ward role, while Christian Bale plays the role of his brother, Dicky Eklund. Dicky is famous in the town of Lowell, where the film is set, because of his once legendary fight with Sugar Ray Leonard. He was once known as, "The Pride of Lowell", and maybe the most important aspect of the film is how he tries to live out his dream of winning a title through his younger brother. Michelle Leo, is Alice Ward, Micky's manager and mother. Her role is acted wonderfully as a manipulative mother who doesn't have her son's best interests in mind on many occasions. Amy Adams, is Charlene Fleming, Micky's girlfriend, who enters the boxer's life at a pivotal time in the film, when his career is being ruined by his family members indiscretions.

Probably the best aspect of the film, is how compellingly it's acted. Bale's performance will likely win him an Oscar. He is so believable as Dicky, that it wouldn't surprise me if director, David O. Russell included the clip at the end of the movie, with the real life Ward and Ecklund to show audiences just how spot on he really was. The incredible acting though is across the board with Leo, Adams, and Wahlberg already securing Golden Globe nominations. Even the actresses that play Micky's sisters in the film deserve kudos. Their portrayal added to the overwhelming element of authenticity that the film was already ripe with and Russell does an uncanny job of capturing all of this.

The expanded Best Picture category should definitely include, The Fighter, but I don't think it'll have as good a chance as taking home the golden statue as say Black Swan or The Social Network.