Cinderella Man DVD Review:

It’s the time of year that we expect will be filled with dramas, just begging for award nominations. Almost as if planned this way (perhaps it was) Cinderella Man comes out on DVD as all of the other films begin to come out in theaters. While the film came out at a strange time in theaters, the DVD release could not be more perfect. While most studios are attempting to entice voters to come see the film in theaters, or struggling to send out screeners in a copyright paranoid industry, Cinderella Man is quietly available at all video stores. Whether or not this will pay off is something that remains to be seen.

I’ve often said that the great films of our times are just simple stories told well. New and original ideas come often, and occasionally they are given proper treatment and succeed, yet there will always be the other films. For the sake of this review I won’t call them unoriginal, but they are certainly familiar. Cinderella Man is a familiar story which has been the source for many films. It is the story of the inspirational underdog, and every year this theme appears in more than a few films, but very few are as special as Cinderella Man.

Cinderella Man is as much a film about The Depression Era as it is a film about boxing, focusing on the good and bad fortune of aging boxer Jim Braddock (Russell Crowe). Thanks to The Depression and a few unfortunate losses in the ring, Braddock finds himself unable to fight and barely able to keep food on the table for his family. When he is lucky enough to be picked, Braddock works the docks, even with a broken fist. Braddock makes a promise to his son that the family will stick together and he does whatever he can to insure that he doesn’t break that promise, at one point even humbly asking for handouts. When the opportunity comes for Braddock to have one last fight, he takes the opportunity to a level which nobody expected. Soon Braddock became a hero to all of the men and women struggling to survive. He became a symbol for hope.

As much as Braddock was a fighter, equal time is spent showing him as a family man as well. Braddock is an example to his family, whether it is punishing his son for stealing or giving his breakfast to his daughter in a way that doesn’t allow her to know his sacrifice. Many of the most touching scenes come from the obvious love and dedication Braddock has for his children. Matching that is the relationship Braddock has with his wife, Mae Braddock, (Renée Zellweger). Only a handful of actors have been able to create an onscreen relationship so touching, endearing, and unquestionably natural as Zellweger and Crowe have. Not do they form one of the best relationships onscreen in years, but each of these Oscar winning actors have outdone themselves individually once again. Crowe, who was once known for his chameleon-like abilities, before he became a household name, has once again morphed himself into the role. He also finally managed to lose all of the weight that he purposefully gained in order to play Dr. Jeffrey Wigand in Michael Mann’s 1999 film, The Insider.

Ron Howard has long since proven himself as a worthy director, but Cinderella Man, while not his most interesting film, is definitely his most flawless achievement to date. Every aspect of the film is in tune, working like a symphony. The art direction is absolutely fantastic, showing the weathering of the depression in stark contrast to the wealthy who avoided the misfortune. While other films have done a great job to capture the look of The Depression, Cinderella Man captures the feeling of the time within each frame of the film. Along with the incredible art direction, fantastic photography, amazing acting, and precise directing, Cinderella Man is also graced with a heart-filled score by the always dependable Thomas Newman.

There are few things that I can even think to say about this film which I did not love, many of which I haven’t even talked about, such as Paul Giamatti’s worthy supporting role. It may still be mentioned that this story has been told time and time again, but somehow it still manages to work. Although nearly everyone going into the theater is not bound to be surprised, I imagine that they will not be disappointed either, and I sincerely doubt that anyone will wish they had not spent the money to see Cinderella Man, no matter how expensive the tickets have gotten.

BONUS FEATURES
There are a number of great bonus features, depending on what version you buy. If the gift set is bough there are a few additional extras. Both come with commentary by director Ron Howard, writer Akiva Goldsman, and writer Cliff Hollingsworth. There are also about twenty minutes of deleted scenes as well.

The Fight Card: Casting Cinderella Man:
This twenty-two minute featurette deals with the casting of the film. It doesn’t seem too difficult, especially considering that when Ron Howard was considering making the film he was given the information that the two lead actors had already expressed interest in the roles. It seems less about the casting as it is about why the actors are so perfect for the film.

The Man, The Movie, The Legend: A Filmmaking Journey:
This featurette follows the journey that the script took into Ron Howard’s hands, and there is more about the great story. It seems that every featurette has one or more people talking about how powerful and amazing the story is. I can’t disagree.

For the Record: A History of Boxing:
This is less than seven minutes long, so if you really thought it would be a history of boxing, you were mistaken. It mostly focuses on Angelo Dundee, the boxing consultant for the film. He talks some about boxing and some about his experience on the set.

Ringside Seats:
With actual fight footage of the fighters and an interview with Norman Mailer, a novelist who obviously knows their style, this nine minute featurette is fantastic for fans of boxing. They are mostly just sitting there and listening to Mailer, but the producer and director are present in the room watching the footage as well.

Jim Braddock: The Friends & Family Behind the Legend:
This featurette with a bit more background of James Braddock is great. It has footage and even audio of Braddock. There are also some interviews of the family and footage when they came to visit the set. It is truly touching, but how could it not be with the fantastic score behind the footage.
COLLECTOR’S EDITION SPECIAL FEATURES
There are about fifteen minutes more deleted scenes in the collector’s edition.
Russell Crowe’s Personal Journey: Becoming Jim Braddock:
This featurette is fantastic. It is nearly thirty minutes long and it really does show how much work Russell Crowe put into this role. He talks in voiceover and video diary to share his journey. The cameras follow Crowe from his home in Australia as he trains with boxers and fight choreographers to become Braddock. The style of the boxing is so unique that it is amazing to see him turn into the character.

Pre-Fight Preparation:
Split into four different sections, this featurette deals with all of the pre-production elements, including what got many of the crew involved in the first place.

Lights, Camera, Action: The Fight From Every Angle:
This twenty minute featurette shows the choreography of the fight, applied because of all of the things learned before shooting began. From the choreography to the cinematography, this featurette really does cover every angle of the fight.

Braddock vs. Baer Fight Footage:
This is the authentic footage from the James J. Braddock vs. Max Baer fight in 1935.

The Sound of the Bell:
There is another music featurette, but this is definitely also in that category. Thomas Newman scored Cinderella Man and this short feature deals with some of the process.

Cinderella Man Music Featurette:
Thomas Newman goes into greater detail about the music, and we actually get to see some of the scenes and how the music works with them. It really is just a push for the soundtrack, but there is some great stuff in it regardless.



Ryan Izay

In 1929, James J. Braddock (Crowe) was a contender for the Heavy Weight Title but this was before the Great Depression hit. Four years later he was fighting injured in $50 bouts, trying to keep his family in food. When his manager Joe Gould (Giamatti) arranges for him to replace an injured boxer to fight the current number one contended, Braddock uses his current plight to motivate himself to win the fight. His sheer determination wins through and he instantly becomes a hero to the millions of people suffering at the hands of the Depression.

Director Ron Howard and star Russell Crowe work together again but can this story of a boxing legend bring them more awards?

The name James J. Braddock might not be very well known outside of the United States but his story is one of the greats tales in sport. This was a man who had had his boxing licence revoked by the US Boxing Commission after fighting injured for far too many bouts. He had lost everything in the Great Depression and he and his family were struggling, living on the breadline. The time away from boxing gave his injures time to heal however and working on the New Jersey docks made him fit again, so when his manager got him another shot, Braddock was a whole new fighter.

It was Braddock’s story of determination and guts that endeared him to the radio listening public. He was an everyman, fighting for the downtrodden and the poor and making them believe in the American dream again. It was a fairy tale in sport that his man could make such a comeback that he would have a shot at the Heavy Weight Championship of the World, to the point that the media labelled him the ‘Cinderella Man’.

The gladiatorial confrontation of a boxing match has always been an enduring subjects for movies, with many a classic gracing the silver screen driven by this most violent of sports. What makes ‘Cinderella Man’ slightly different from the many films that have preceded it is the human element of the story. It isn’t Braddock’s exploits in the ring that drive the film; it is what he is fighting for that draws you into the character. When you see what his family and friends are going through and the fact that he is bringing hope to a nation that is on its knees, this is much more than a boxing movie but a film about desperate time that needed a hero.

Bringing the movie to life are three exquisite performances from the main leads. Russell Crowe proves again that he is one of the most talented actors working in cinema today. He brings a warmth and determination to James J. Braddock making the character easy to get behind. Braddock is a man of principle and honour both in and out of the ring and Crowe instils this in the character with consummate skill and passion. Paul Giamatti is superb as manager Joe Gould. One of the best character actors working in Hollywood today, Giamatti is an expert at creating memorable characters that light up the screen every time he graces it. Brilliant at drama and throwing in the odd comedic line, Giamatti’s Joe Gould is another classic creation by this consummate actor. Renée Zellweger continues to impress as Braddock’s wife Mae. While this maybe a slight clichéd role for boxing movies, the wife who doesn’t want her husband to box, it is in the more dramatic moments dealing with the family’s poverty that Zellweger really comes into her own.

Director Ron Howard is really growing into a multi-skilled filmmaker that can handle any genre. We all know that he can handle the human drama of the story but it is in the direction of the fight scenes where the film excels. Howard and his filmmaking team really take you into the fight. The camera is the fighter as well as the spectator, as we see what the boxer would see in the first person as he shows the blurred vision and the punches coming into Braddock. This style of photography makes the audience feel like they are actually part of the film and makes each bout totally riveting.

‘Cinderella Man’ is a brilliantly acted and superbly shot film. While it might be slightly overlong, dwell too much on Braddock’s poverty and not really support Paddy Considine’s story enough, this is still a tremendous movie about hope and the power of sport to bring a lift even during the hardest of times.

Star Rating = * * * *

PICTURE & SOUND

Presented in Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1 with Dolby Digital 5.1, the movie is presented extremely well, showcasing the excellent way that Ron Howard and his filmmaking team have captured the era.

BONUS FEATURES

Disc 1

Feature Commentary with Director Ron Howard, Writer Akiva Goldsman and Writer Cliff Hollingsworth
This feature was not available on the review copy and will be updated upon the film’s release.

Deleted Scenes (20.58 mins)
With optional commentary by director Ron Howard, these six deleted show more of the character development of the movie. Here we see more of Jim Braddock, his family and Joe Gould before The Great Depression, Braddock working, the problems with his broken hand and the desperation he goes through during that time of little.

The Fight Card: Casting Cinderella Man (22.56 mins)
Director Ron Howard, producer Brian Glazer, casting director Jane Jenkins and stars Russell Crowe, Renée Zellweger, Paul Giamatti, Craig Bierko, Paddy Considine and Rosemarie DeWitt talk about the characters of the real life story of James J. Braddock. With footage of the man and his family from 1930s, Ron Howard and his creative team choose actors that would fit the real life people they are going to play.

The Man, The Movie, The Legend: A filmmaking journey (14.00 mins)
Director Ron Howard, producers Brian Glazer and Penny Marshall, screenwriter Akiva Goldsman, director of photography Salvatore Totino, production designer Wynn Thomas, costume designer Daniel Orlandi, executive producer Todd Hallowell and stars Russell Crowe and Renée Zellweger talk about bringing James J. Braddock’s story to the silver screen. Ron Howard and his filmmaking team talk about recreating the 1930s Great Depression New York setting in modern Toronto, with Madison Square Garden and the other main locations of the shoot been vividly and authentically recreated. We also see how the locations and costumes were created to take you back to the 1930s.

For the Record: The History of Boxing (6.37 mins)
Director Ron Howard, boxing consultant Angelo Dundee and boxing trainer Wayne Gordon talk about training Russell Crowe to be like a 1930s boxer.

Ringside Seats (9.09mins)
Director Ron Howard, producer Brian Glazer, screenwriter Akiva Goldsman and novelist Norman Mailer watch and analyse rounds 1, 8, 9 and 15 of the actual Braddock vs. Baer fight.

Jim Braddock: The friends and family behind the legend (11.10 mins)
Director Ron Howard, Braddock’s son Howard Braddock, granddaughter Rosemarie DeWitt and grandson Tim Braddock talk about the former heavyweight champion career and their relationship with him. With actual footage of Jim and May, we find out what the man and his family were really like.

Disc 2

Additional Deleted Scenes (15.20 mins)
With optional commentary by director Ron Howard, these ten additional deleted scenes show more of Jim and his family during the depression and more of the final fight with Max Baer.

Russell Crowe’s Personal Journey: Becoming Jim Braddock (27.49 mins)
At his training camp in Australia, Russell Crowe records a video diary about his preparations for shooting ‘Cinderella Man’. With contributions from fight trainer Angelo Dundee, stunt coordinator Steve Lucescu, trainer Mark Carroll and fellow fighters Mark Simmons, Troy Amos-Ross, Art Binkowski and Thomasz Kurzydlowski, we see what Russell had to go through to get ready for the demanding fight scenes in the movie. It also reveals the injuries he suffered during his preparation and what he had to do to get ready for the role.

Lights, Camera, Action: The Fight from Every Angle (21.23 mins)
Director Ron Howard, director of photography Salvatore Totino, editors Dan Hanley and Mike Hill, stunt coordinator Steve Lucescu and stars Russell Crowe, Craig Bierko, Mark Simmons, Troy Amos-Ross, Art Binkowski and Thomasz Kurzydlowski talk about creating the fights for the movie. The Corn Griffin, John Henry Lewis, Art Lasky and the Max Baer fights are discussed as the fighters playing the roles real how they prepared to imitate the 1930s style of fighting.

Photo Montage
Behind the scenes and production stills from ‘Cinderella Man’

The Sound of the Bell (6.21 mins)
Director Ron Howard and composer Thomas Newman talks about creating a score that would be evocative of the era. Newman also reveals how he writes music for films and his inspiration for the score.

Human Face of the Depression (6.00 mins)
Director Ron Howard, producer Brian Glazer and screenwriter Akiva Goldsman talk about the impact of the Great Depression on the Braddock family, his career and the people of New York.

Music Featurette (2.12 mins)
Composer Thomas Newman talks about determining when music is needed and how this relates to ‘Cinderella Man’.

Pre-Fight Preparations (22.14 mins)
Director Ron Howard, writer Cliff Hollingsworth, producer Penny Marshall, screenwriter Akiva Goldsman, production designer Wynn Thomas, location manager Keith Large, executive producer Todd Hallowell, producer Brian Glazer, fight advisor Angelo Dundee, director of photography Salvatore Totino and stars Russell Crowe, come together to talk the aspects of ‘Cinderella Man’. Split into four parts entitled ‘Focus on the Script’, ‘Creating the Reality’, ‘Russell’s transformation’ and ‘Inflatable People’, the featurettes show how the film came together.

Braddock vs. Baer: Fight Footage (31.58 mins)
Watch the original June 13th 1935 footage of the James J. Braddock vs. Max Baer fight and see how actuate Ron Howard and his filmmakers were in recreating the fight for the Heavyweight crown.

OVERALL

Universal has done an exceptional job with the Collectors Edition of ‘Cinderella Man’. The featurettes cover every aspect of the film production with ‘Russell Crowe’s Personal Journey: Becoming Jim Braddock’ been a real highlight. Fans of the movie should rejoice, as this is one of the best DVD releases for some time.

Jamie Kelwick