Cinderella Man (2005)

One of the best Boxing movies ever made

Why CINDERELLA MAN was a boxoffice disappointment is unfathomable. It is, without a doubt, one of the best films about the sport of Boxing ever made (and that includes RAGING BULL), and is a very affecting chronicle of the United States during the Great Depression. Director Ron Howard, who had wanted to make a Depression era film since he was very young, came to the project via his relationship with Oscar winner Russell Crowe. They had already made a fine film in A BEAUTIFUL MIND, and Crowe for several years had been trying to get a biopic about the Boxer James J. Braddock, Jr. off the ground. The project had gone through many hands, but the movie gods were smiling the day that Ron and Russell joined forces. Russell had a great affinity for the story of Braddock, who had gone from just missing the brass ring to the depths of poverty to one last chance at the Boxing spotlight, a true Rocky story. And Ron's father, the great character actor Rance Howard, had actually listened to Braddock's fight with Heavyweight Champion Max Baer on the radio on June 13th, 1935. Ron was well acquainted with the story of Braddock.

The original screenplay was by Cliff Hollingsworth, who had done extensive interviews with Braddock family members and a mountain of research. This was given to Ron's stalwart friend and script doctor Akiva Goldsman for some rewriting and polish. One thing they heightened was the character of Max Baer. Baer was the first Boxer to really go with the Showbiz aspects of the sport, as Muhammad Ali would many years later. Although Baer did indeed have a fearsome right hand and a long reach, he did not "gleefully" kill two men in the ring and brag about it. On the contrary, when the accidental death of Frankie Campbell occurred (go to Max Baer's website for the full story), he stayed with Campbell's wife at Frankie's bedside and wept "tears the size of golf balls". To the end of his life Baer grieved over Frankie Campbell and helped the family every chance he got.

For the purposes of the film, and to give the story an antagonist to focus on, the bout with Baer became a David and Goliath tale. To be fair, Baer did not train as he normally would have for this fight (again, a Rocky parallel), and Braddock did, as though his life depended on it. Truth be told, his life, and the lives of his family, did indeed depend on this fight.

Back to the film as a whole: the recreation of Depression era America by Ron, his Cinematographer Salvatore Totino (with whom he has worked on every film since THE MISSING), his Production Designer Wynn Thomas and the entire team is stunning. Every detail is meticulously right, and after visiting the world of CINDERELLA MAN, a young person who has only read about the Great Depression in school will gain keen insight into this dark era in our recent history.

The performances are heartfelt and Oscar-worthy, from Renee Zellweger as James Braddock's wife and eternal love Mae, to Paul Giamatti as Braddock's stalwart and abrasive manager Joe Gould, to Craig Bierko as Max Baer, to Bruce McGill as Fight Promoter Jimmy Johnston, to Paddy Considine as Braddock's friend Mike Wilson (a character composited from many friends of Braddock to give the film a focus). And, of course, Russell Crowe puts his heart and soul into personifying James J. Braddock, disappearing completely into the role. A wonderful, deep performance. Every note is perfect, the film well constructed. Bear in mind that, as you have no doubt gleaned from the review so far, CINDERELLA MAN is not a documentary. It is a drama based on fact, with as much fact as possible in the story, but still a drama. If you watch the actual footage of the pivotal Baer-Braddock fight (which is included on the Collector's Edition DVD set), it is not as overtly dramatic as the film fight, but you can see how the two Boxers truly punched, pummeled, and wore each other into the ground.

CINDERELLA MAN is, at its core, a solid, emotional, affecting drama about one family's survival against what looked like overwhelming odds. It deserves to be seen and experienced.

The DVD itself (the Collector's 2 Disc Edition) contains, on Side One of Disc One, the feature, letterboxed in its full 2:35 to 1 aspect ratio, with solid blacks, beautiful sepia tones and rich 5.1 sound. You may want to listen on headphones to get the true ambient aural experience. It also includes THREE separate commentary tracks, by Ron Howard, by Akiva Goldsman, and by Cliff Hollingsworth. All three are well worth your attention, especially that by Director Howard. On Side Two of Disc One are deleted scenes with commentary by Ron Howard, five documentaries on various aspects of the making of CINDERELLA MAN, and a plug for Kodak disguised as a "Gallery", as well as bonus DVD-ROM features. On Disc Two, we have additional deleted scenes with commentary by Howard, six more documentaries (including a fascinating featurette on the training of Russell Crowe and the fighter cast) and the actual Baer-Braddock bout, as captured on film in 1935.

CINDERELLA MAN is most deserving of this exhaustive presentation. Some of the bonus features are available on the standard DVD release, but, to this reviewer's mind, the Collector's Edition is the better of the two. It comes in a presentation box with a nice souvenir booklet and photo cards to sweeten the pot.
July 13, 2008

Not just another boxing movie

A powerful movie from beginning to end, Cinderella Man has a strong story with a wonderful cast, of which some of the best acting is done by Paul Giamatti. This is not just another boxing movie - no, it's more, with drama of tough times during the Depression. I'm not a big fan of boxing myself, but I have t say that the action here is very balanced and entertaining. What also makes Cinderella Man so unique is the way the camera moves around and films. It portrays movement, moods,and the setting perfectly.
Russell Crowe, Renee Zellweger, and Paul Giamatti act for all their worth, and this movie directed by Ron Howard fully deserves to be praised. June 29, 2008

A Truly Touching Drama!

What a touching drama of how someone worked hard to make his dreams come true. They went through hard, hard times to just keep food on the table and still survived.

A must watch movie !

Merna

Pocket of Pearls: A 30-day pocket workbook to start hearing a softer voice inside of you! June 19, 2008

(3.5): A Decade or More Too Late

I agree with most reviewers that this was a great movie. What makes it all the more incredible is that it is based on a true story, one that will remain inspirational for years to come. My real problem? In a Hollywood Movie Industry where Rocky has made boxing a great spectacle where rooting for the underdog triumphing over insurmountable odds cliche, Cinderella Man, unfortunately, is the non-fiction, true-to-life account of a movie storyline that has been played, replayed, and over-played. Many of the intimate moments are touching, yet the pacing is not quite right and sometimes you look for longer explorations concerning Braddock's character outside of the boxing ring. The last fight, though it brought chills and made me cheer, was like watching any other boxing movie.

Will you enjoy this movie? Certainly. But don't expect to see innovation or something that is going to blow your mind. Watch this to be inspired and be reminded that people can overcome almost everything that comes their way with a little luck and a lot of hard work. June 11, 2008

A Knockout

Ron Howard directs this heartwarming true story about down and out boxer Jim Braddock, brilliantly played by Russell Crowe. After breaking his hand in a fight and having his boxing license revoked, Braddock is forced to find work shifts on the docks to support his family. Braddock is then thrust into the spotlight by his manager Joe Gould (Paul Giamatti) to make one of the greatest comebacks in boxing history.

"Cinderella Man" is the best boxing movie of all time. Dazzling cinematography, editing and the most amazing boxing scenes in a movie to date. It feels as if you're in the ring with the Bulldog of Bergen. Russell Crowe gives the best performance of his career and other great performances by a supporting cast that includes Renee Zellweger, Paul Giamatti, Bruce McGill and Craig Bierko. One of the most dramatic and inspiring movies you'll ever see. June 3, 2008

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