Boxing tale packs a punch

LESS STYLISH than Raging Bull, less euphoric than the Rocky films, The Fighter (US/15A/115 mins) is a boxing movie made in the image of its hero, ‘Irish’ Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg), a solid but unspectacular Irish-American scrapper who slugged his way to a shot at the world title in the mid-’90s.

As it’s based on real-life events, David O Russell’s film depends for its tension on events outside the ring, as Micky battles the gravitational pull of a parasitical extended family, led by his manager-mother Alice (Melissa Leo), that threatens to scupper his hopes and dreams.

Chief parasite, however, and the element that gives The Fighter a badly needed edge, is Micky’s brother Dicky (Christian Bale), a one-time contender and Micky’s crack addict trainer. In fact, Dickie’s fall from grace is more fascinating than Micky’s rise through the ranks, just as Dicky (“I’m squirrelly as f**k”) was a more compelling boxer to watch. But as the traditional three-act Hollywood drama demands victory real and moral as the credits roll, Wahlberg takes centre stage.