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Man to Man
Biopic of American boxer James Braddock whose remarkable comeback during The Great Depression inspired the country. Starring Russell Crowe and Ren??e Zellweger
Before its release, some wag dubbed Ron Howard's latest movie Fistbiscuit. Glib perhaps, but absolutely dead-on. Both Seabiscuit and Cinderella Man are unashamedly sentimental, epic period dramas about the triumph of a sporting underdog; old-fashioned populist storytelling that defines earnest, feel-good entertainment. Best of all, they're based on historical fact - a cast-iron defence against scornful critics. If one had to design an Oscar contender, look no further than this real-life fairytale. In a largely 'safe' career, director Ron Howard occasionally pulls out something a little spikier, like Ransom or The Missing, but here he directs with the same worthy import and polished production values of Apollo 13 and A Beautiful Mind. In collaboration with his long-time producer Brian Grazer and screenwriter Akiva Goldsman, he never met a thorny issue or abrasive character he couldn't smooth over. In this case Cinderella Man revolves around James "Gentleman Jim" Braddock, a hero with a beautiful heart (the sublime left hook matters less). A heavyweight champion in the late 1920s he, like many of his countrymen, went from riches to rags in The Great Depression. Eventually he resorts to accepting welfare cheques and sporadic dock work to feed his starving wife Mae (Zellweger) and their kids. What follows is one of the great all-time comebacks. Over the hill, out of shape and at times nursing a broken hand, Braddock somehow takes his second shot, courtesy of feisty trainer Joe Gould (Giamatti). In fact he goes all the way to an unlikely title fight with fearsome champion Max Baer (Bierko) who killed two of his last opponents. With such astounding, honest-to-goodness actuality at their disposal, you'd hope that Howard and co would look for the quirks and kinks behind the myth. Not so. If anything, they exaggerate it. Braddock may well have been the saint depicted here, but surely any competitive sportsman - especially one who makes a living punching other people - has some contradictions. By many accounts, his opponent wasn't the callous, moronic dandy depicted here; the real Max Baer was apparently tormented by the deaths he caused, even helping out the fighters' loved ones financially. But that wouldn't work for the simplistic movie Howard is after. A Cinderella Man needs an Ugly Sister, not a fully rounded antagonist. The sucker punch is that for much of its two-and-a-half-hours, Cinderella Man casts a powerful spell. The fight scenes, though not as impressive as Raging Bull, are adroitly handled and thoroughly cinematic. On top of that, $90 million goes a long way to creating a convincingly run-down 1930s milieu. Amid all this gloss, two raw performances deliver the knockout blow. Crowe is a consummate screen actor who ensures that Braddock's goodness is never cloying. Even when the script offers him the chance, he never milks the moment. Matching him toe-to-toe is Giamatti who is dynamic in a crouched, jabber-jaw supporting turn. His physicality and demeanour work beautifully opposite Crowe's gentle giant. Without such accomplished actors, and despite the lavish Hollywood trimmings, you'd be thinking Rocky III in sepia tones. Verdict Handsome, manipulative, simplistic. It packs an uplift that bludgeons you into submission. |
