The Fighter, 2010

I'd been putting off seeing The Fighter since it's release because I thought it'd be just another boxing movie that the critics always seem to fawn over. Needless to say the film completely shattered all my expectations, and is definitely one of the top films of 2010. The Fighter is not solely the story of a down-and-out boxer, but the story about a family trying to stay together when they can't help but drag each other down. Melissa Leo, Christian Bale, Amy Adams and Mark Wahlberg are all incredibly captivating in their roles and do an incredible job. The shining star of the film is without a doubt Melissa Leo. I've been a fan of her's since her performance in Frozen River and I'm so glad she was able to take home the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Her take on the overly-ambitious matriarch Alice Ward was something I wasn't expecting; Leo brings to the character a sense of sympathy and motherly charm hidden deep under her domineering facade. There was a point in the film where I felt such sympathy towards her, and was actually rooting for Alice to succeed. It would have been incredibly easy to make this character completely unlikeable, unattached and one-dimensional, but Leo brings a powerhouse performance which earns her a well-deserved Oscar. The only bad thing I can say about the film is that, yes, it is somewhat predictable; but nonetheless one of the most entertaining, finely acted and directed movies which you will find from 2010.

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