Just in time for Oscars, (as they say) I have a review for a must see Oscar nominated film: Cinderella Man.

When I sat down to watch this movie, I had it all figured out. This was a film about a wealthy, womanizing, boozing boxer who has it all until the depression hits and he learns through trials and tribulations that what really makes a man successful in life is not fame or money. It is family. I figured we would see at least a few scenes of Jim Braddock (played by Russell Crow) stumbling around back alleys drunk and dirty, lamenting at the fact that he can no longer afford the top shelf booze or whatever. Basically I was expecting the typical Hollywood schtick.

Boy was I wrong.

Jim Braddock didn’t become a good man; he is a good man through and through. After his big win during the opening credits, he does not head off to the clubs to celebrate his victory and spend his money on wine and women. He heads home to his wife; a woman who he clearly loves and who clearly loves him very much. When the depression hits, Jim does all he can to take care of his family. The sacrifices he makes are heart breaking. There is one particularly touching scene where he gives his entire dinner, (a single piece of bologna-type meat) to his daughter who is still hungry after eating all of her meat.

It is moments like these that really help to drive home the desperation of the situation that Braddock and his wife find themselves in. And when Braddock finally gets an opportunity to fight again, there is relief. Not because boxing is in his blood, or he has a shot at money and glory. No, there is relief, because as Braddock puts it, he is “boxing for milk.” Unlike most films of this nature, The protagonist doesn’t go through a character arc. Braddock doesn’t change, its the world around him that does the changing.

The acting in this film is nice. Both Russell Crowe and Renee Zellweger pull off very honest and convincing performances. Paul Giamattie is nominated this year for his role as Joe Gould and rightly so. He plays against type a bit and brings a lightness and humor that is refreshing. However the character of Max Baer, played by Craig Bierko is a dark and ruthless man and this seems out of place. Baer is portrayed as more of a movie monster than anyone who may have really existed. Baer is a man who has killed two men in the ring and wouldn’t think twice about doing it again. He lumbers around the ring like a man possessed and it tends to take you out of the moment. I would like to see how closely his portrayal resembles the real Max Baer.

Visually the movie is fine, but nothing more than just fine. The quite moments are nice and well paced, but the camera always seems to stay at the back of the room when it should be up-close and personal. I may just be remembering it wrong, but nothing about these scenes stood out as being exceptionally well shot or edited. The boxing scenes lack the poetry of Micheal Manns’ Ali and lack the style of Raging Bull. However there is a sort of raw realism in the way these scenes are shot. The camera, for the most part, is removed from the action a bit so that the viewer can really see the boxers extange blows. They really hit each other, and they hit each other hard. You tend to forget that you are watching a bunch of actors on screen and find yourself cheering the hero on. (Which is always a good sign that a movie is made well.)

All in all I can recommend that everyone see this film. It is a very touching story about a man who is fighting for all of the right reasons. The film is probably glamorizing Braddock a bit and it is most defiantly vilifying Baer a lot, but this is the kind of thing one would expect to see from a Ron Howard film. When it’s all said and done, this is a very good film that makes a great statement about how a man should live his life.

I give Cinderella Man 4 out of 5 stars.

-Matt