Movie Babbler

Cinderella Man

January 28th, 2006 by Jennine

You can say a lot of things about Russell Crowe, but you can’t deny the fact that he is a brilliant actor. His portrayal of boxer, James J Braddock was nothing short of sensational. He still had his normal gruff voice, but played the role with sincerity, honesty and credibility.

James Braddock is a boxer with a lot of potential who falls on hard times during the Great Depression. Things get worse when he breaks his hand during a boxing match and loses his membership. His wife Mae (Renee Zellweger) is secretly glad that he no longer is able to box and has to look for a “real” job. Things go from bad to worse when Braddock struggles to find work at the local shipyards, until his ex-agent, Joe Gould (Paul Giametti) comes back into their lives offering a $250 purse for a one time showcase fight with a World Champion contender.

This fight becomes a turning point for Braddock and his family. They find themselves back in the “black” and Braddock becomes a national hero. The working class of the nation start believing in him and in themselves, simply because he has changed his luck. It was a common thought of if he can, then I can. Braddock’s motivation for winning - he wanted to be able to put milk on the table.

This is a brilliantly directed story (director Ron Howard) and unlike a lot of boxing stories this one will make you laugh and may make you cry. I do admit though if you don’t like boxing and/or you don’t like the sight of blood this is not the movie for you. I do promise you though that you will start moving your shoulders in the fight scenes and you will feel some of the punches.

This is one of the best movies that I’ve seen in a while and fully recommend it to anyone and everyone.

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