The Fighter (2010, U.S.)

I never really had much interest in seeing this, because I'm just not a big sports movie sort of gal. But after all the Oscar buzz, I decided I better check it out anyway. Besides, I have great respect for the talents of Christian Bale, Mark Wahlberg, and Amy Adams.

Basically, it's exactly what you'd expect it to be. Poor guy from Lowell, Massachusetts tries to follow in his older brother's athletic footsteps, but not his drug-addicted, law-breaking ones. He wants to maintain his relationship with his brother, who he loves and once respected, even though his brother is dragging him down. He wants to get out of the neighborhood and away from his overbearing mother and gaggle of sisters. He wants to earn enough to support his daughter. He wants to be with the woman he loves even though his family doesn't approve. He struggles, he triumphs, the end.

I hate to oversimplify the plot and make it sound like I'm mocking it, because I'm not. The acting was phenomenal, as you would expect from Bale (a well-earned Oscar), Wahlberg, and Adams especially. The real surprise to me was Melissa Leo (another well-earned Oscar) and the 5? 6? sisters. Between all those women, the two men, and Adams (who played Wahlberg's girlfriend), the dynamic was astounding. The family felt like a big, crazy, female-dominated family, and there was especially no love lost between the sisters and the girlfriend. Realistic stuff, and funny in a sad sort of way. Excellent ensemble.

When it comes down to it, though, it's just another sports movie to me. Exceptionally well acted, and probably interesting to those with an interest in the subject, but all the brilliant acting chops in the world wouldn't make this my favorite movie. It's just not my thing, and I appreciated it for what it was. (Probably a must for sports fans in general, boxing fans in particular, Massachusetts residents, and fans of the lead actors.)

Rating: 3.0

The Lovely Bones (2009, U.S.)

The novel that this movie is based on is a beautiful examination of death and life grief as seen in the eyes of a young girl who is raped and murdered by her neighbor. It is one of the most beautifully written books I've ever read, and some of the best parts of the film were the passages lifted directly from the novel.

It felt like they tried to cram a bit too much suspense into a story that was supposed to be more thoughtful. On the other hand, Saoirse Ronan is a great young actress (see Atonement for further proof) and played the dead girl with a very nuanced performance.

Peter Jackson's touch was obvious in Susie's CGI heaven. It was beautiful, with a forest in summer blending into mountains in winter, all with a slowly disintegrating gazebo in the center. (The gazebo is a duplicate of one in the mall where she was supposed to meet a boy on her first ever date.) From here, Susie watches her family and friends grieve and her murderer reliving his crime.

It could have been done better, but it was still quite good.

Rating: 3.5