Cinderella Man

The "boxing" film has become a genre all it's own. It's easy for us to love a fighting protagonist. Instead of having to guess what our hero is battling, we can just watch him do it. Or"¦should I say him/her. The most recent filmic boxing success, Million Dollar Baby, brought home some serious hardware from the Oscars. At just about that time, previews for Cinderella Man crept out in theatres and the internet. I
wasn't sure weather to be excited or bored at the prospect.

Ron Howard's latest tale of a man against the odds reunites him with Russell Crowe. Crowe plays boxing great James J Braddock at his lowest and highest. Against the backdrop of the Depression-Era thirties, Braddock struggles to provide for his family from meal to meal. After a fall from grace as steady as the stock market drop, Braddock finds himself as meat for the boxing grinder. With a dwindling career, and
empty pockets, the fabric of his family begins to unwind. Braddock is forced to go to new lows to rescue his wife and children from despair. One of the most chilling aspects of this downfall is how uncommon it is. Every other household struggles with the same horror. The only way for Braddock to turn his life around is to fight his way back. Every punch is for his kids, every purse is food on the table. When his longtime manager, Joe
Gould (Paul Giamatti), offers him a fight, Braddock has to rise from the ashes to meet the challenge.

Howard doesn't do much to surprise us in terms of plot, but the story manages to grip in a way that is both genuine and large. The visual motif of the ringside flashbulb takes us through punch by punch. Camera snaps make the blow-by-blow transitions all the more searing. The intermittent split-second X-ray shots of Braddock's breaking bones add a thin extra layer of visual variety to the brutally realistic portrayal of the film. The lack of emotionally moving pictures is supplemented by the weighty story served marvelously by the entire cast. Howard uses their performances to create an unexpected suspense despite a predictable sequence of events. The Braddock children play a major role in tugging the heartstrings. Crowe does a masterful job of playing both father and hero to his kids while keeping them completely separate from the ring. He remains a solid "Everyman" by keeping free of greed and gaining your trust from the first frame. I've always found it very hard to root against Russell Crowe, and this is no exception. Paul Giamatti has created the brightest and most magnetic character of the film through his ever-skillful use humor and passion.

Renee Zellweger's performance as Mae Braddock captured the anguish of a loving mother and wives, longing to nurture and protect amidst squalor.

The most visually pleasing pieces of the film deal with the previously unseen agony of The Great Depression. This was the kiln were the "Greatest Generation" was forged, and rightfully so. We see the filth of the Hoovervilles in Central Park, the haggard look on the ashen faces of men waiting for work at the docks, and the sacrifices made in the name of family. Cinderella Man won't dazzle you but it certainly will open your
eyes to a period in time that has it's own human and earthy beauty. The fighting scenes are some of the most grueling and powerful to date. Each fight is taken slowly and methodically, adding more power to the emotional highs and lows of Braddock and his fans"¦especially the theatergoers.

Cinderella Man has all the trimmings of a feel good hero story, but more heart than cliché.

Movie Grade: B+