Movie Review - Cinderella Man

This wasn't as much a movie about boxing as it was about the great depression. But on that front, this is probably the best film about that era I've seen.

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I'm definitely a fan of Russell Crowe, his range is just fantastic. This was easily his best performance since A Beautiful Mind (not that I've seen him in a ton of other films since then). Renee Zellwegger, I can't stand, but I didn't think it was actually HER playing his wife until the credits rolled (I thought it was another actress, whose name escapes me at the moment). She wasn't great, but passable anyways.

But this one is definitely more about the writing than the actors. Based on a true-life story of James J. Braddock, the "Bulldog of Bergen" (no relation), who was a top light heavyweight boxing contender until he embarked on a losing streak around the late-20's. The film essentially picks up from that point, after he's barred from boxing and forced to do just about anything to feed his family and pay his electricity bill.

His comeback towards the end is clearly the best part, as it almost seems to be good to be true (and if it wasn't true, I'd be highly skeptical). It's truly inspiring to see how Braddock inspired others through the depression, and this film conveys that phenomenon well. Kudos to Ron Howard for bringing that aspect together.

The one criticism - at well over 2 hours, this was just too long. Not that the film didn't keep my interest, but I can't think of too many films where I've thought that 2 hours wasn't enough time to tell a story and bring it all home.

Still, I'd definitely recommend seeing it.