Read more of Hal's reviews HERE

 _________________________ 

Cinderella Man

Directed by: Ron Howard
Written by: Akiva Goldsman, Cliff Hollingsworth
Starring: Russell Crowe, Renée Zellweger, Paul Giamatti, Paddy Considine, Bruce McGill
Country: USA

        


Three and a half glass slippers

Reviewed by Hal Gray

Can You Find The Ugly Step-Brothers?

Often before seeing a movie, I’ve built up an inherent bias toward a film. It may be based on a godawful trailer I’ve seen a dozen times or an antipathy to a director, actor or writer. Big budget Hollywood films already have two strikes against them because I know I’ll be seeing an assembled product, sort of like a General Motors assembly line where the guy who welds on the bumper has never met the gal bolting down the bucket seats. It’s not art but craft, and often the craft doesn’t hold water.

Fortunately, I’m the biggest sucker of them all, because as soon as my rear hits the theatre seat and the lights go down, none of my preconceptions are remembered. You see, I love movies so much, I want them all to succeed. Of course, I’m disappointed a lot.

So, I didn’t expect to like Cinderella Man very much for some of the above reasons. Also, the Depression-era and fight game paths are well trodden. However, Ron Howard delivers a simple, linear, unspectacular film that despite the odd melodramatics here and treacle there, is a sincere piece of art.

James J. Braddock was a world-class heavyweight contender in the late ‘twenties before he broke and re-broke his right hand in several fights. Cast aside in the faltered economy of the Dirty 30s, he found little work on the New York docks to keep his wife and three kids fed or warm. The family nearly breaks up from these pressures, as so many families did. But what set Braddock aside was a fluke chance to fight a contender for the heavyweight crown. For everyone, including his long-suffering manager, this is a lark: one last chance to fight in ‘The Garden’ before a big crowd. For Braddock, it’s something different. Now he’s got something to fight for, the salvation of his family. The fact that he parlays this fight into another and then finally into the championship fight against the brutal belt holder, is a compelling story. It certainly was for the downtrodden of the time who needed a hero.

Russell Crowe is strong as Jim Braddock. When you have a hard time thinking who else could play the role, you know he owns it. Strangely, however, there’s not a lot to do with the character. He’s a saint. He loves his wife and kids. He doesn’t gamble or drink. He’s kind to a fault. His pride does takes a massive blow when he’s forced to beg, but he’s begging for his family, not himself.

So perhaps Crowe’s genius in this part was done before the first day of principal shooting: the ironic choice to play a peaceful man in a violent world. Crowe, larger than life on the screen—and apparently off—seems just that in scenes with his wife, kids and the neighbours. But in the ring he’s always the smaller man which underscores a sweet vulnerability.

Paul Giamatti as Joe Gould, Braddock’s small but feisty manager, squeezes the most out of an everyman role. He brings a subtle depth to the film that’s lacking elsewhere. He’s always in control of the relationship with his fighter, which, of course, is how it usually is. For the two actors to realize this manager/fighter dynamic and to put it on the screen give it an authenticity above the period costumes and set decorations.

Renée Zellweger has the same problem as Crowe. Mae Braddock is a saint, too. She does well, but is hampered with more of the overblown lines in the script. Several Canadian actors show up here—it was shot in Toronto—notably Nick Campbell as sport beat reporter Sporty Lewis.

Howard makes some poor choices. The high-gloss film is antithetical to the grit of the Dirty 30s as is the syrupy, full-blown score. A sub-story about a dockyard friend of Braddock doesn’t work so well, either. And Howard literally telegraphs a cinematic punch several scenes before an actual telegraphed punch is thrown in the ring in the climactic scene. He’s probably laughing about that one himself.

The real winner here has to be Howard. If we haven’t gotten it by now, he has a clear vision of what he wants and what attracts him in storytelling. One can argue that you don’t like his simplistic view of the world and because of that he doesn’t have the capability to make a truly great film. I don’t think it matters to him. He does what he wants and does it well.

NB. In honour of Howard’s virtuous vision, I’ve refrained from cussing in this review. I will, however, admit to a perverse pleasure in watching for Ron’s brother, Clint, to show up in an appropriate background role, as I do at all of his films.  

_________________________

Read all of our recent film reviews HERE.

The opinions expressed by our reviewers are their own and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Publisher, the Editor or staff of zineCAT. If you have a comment please email it to info@icatmedia.com