Movie Reviews: The Fighter & Black Swan

Last week, I saw two movies & my last two movies for 2010. First up, The Fighter with Mark Wahlberg. After being snowed in all day, we went to the movies as a family to see this. This movie was more of a story between two brothers with a layer about fighting over the movie rather than a movie about boxing. I think that the title of the movie refers to the activity of

boxing but also how each brother was a Fighter in his own right. This movie was shot in an interesting way where the focus was on the character speaking at the time, letting anyone or anything in the background become unfocused. I felt this forced the viewer to focus on the people and relationships with others.

Dicky is the big brother who was a famous boxer who, despite his drug troubles, trains his younger brother Micky as a boxer. The brothers are from a working class family in Lowell, MA where they have different Fathers and plenty of sisters. Although Dicky was on his way to move out of this situation, Micky is the one who ultimately fights his way into a better life for himself.

I thought this movie was similar to The Wrestler. The Wrestler was a story about a guy who lost his career and his relationships in his life. He worked hard to rebuild everything. I thought that Christian Bale did a great job in his part in this film. I won't be surprised if either actors are up for awards this season. Recommend!



I also saw the much anticipated, Black Swan, last week. Ironically, this film had the same director as The Wrestler and the Director has said that Black Swan his a companion movie to Wrestler. Both films showcased a troubled lead in a demanding, physical career.

Nina(Natalie Portman) is a trained ballerina for the NY Ballet who is desperate to get the lead role in a production. She is on her way to getting the lead when a new girl, Lily, joins the company & Nina feels challenged by Lily. Worried that Lily will take her spot in the company, she begins to freak out. She starts thinking that Lily is after her, starts seeing things, and is overall paranoid.

The main theme throughout this movie is Nina v. herself. She struggles to flourish in a challenging role, move out of her mother's house, or make friends within the company due to the limits & control she tries to keep over herself. I thought this movie was interesting and shot beautifully. Recommend, but know that it is a little creepy!