Cinderella Man Movie Review:


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 = * * * *

Jamie Kelwick

There is a great boxing story about a miracle heavy-weight champion who brought hope to a nation filled with hopelessness. His passion and will to win allowed for many people to find the will to survive the darkest hours of the Great Depression. His name was James Braddock and this is his story.

James Braddock (Russell Crowe) is probably not a name a lot of people are familiar with and for most of his less-than illustrious career people just knew Braddock as a washed-up boxer. Braddock’s manager, Joe Gould (Paul Giamatti) had given up trying to get Braddock back in the ring until a heavyweight bout fell through and a contender needed an opponent to fill an already cluttered card.

Braddock saw the opportunity to turn his bad luck around and finally pull up his family’s spirits. Braddock’s wife, Mae (Renee Zellweger) was very reluctant to have her husband take up boxing again to put food on the table. But for Braddock this was his last best chance to shine one more immortal time.

“Cinderella Man” is basically what the title constitutes it to be. There are no shocks, dismays, twists or turns here. It’s just basically a rah-rah story about an unlikely underdog who has one more shot at greatness. Basically its Rocky 8, set in the 1930s.

What probably makes the film engaging is the strong performance from both Zellweger and Giamatti. I liked that the film showed the impact of boxing on Braddock’s wife as well as on Braddock himself. There was some of support angle in the Rocky series but Zellweger is just so good here. Giamatti is always an amazing talent to watch and his role as the manager and agent allows him to dance circles around Crowe’s slobbering, daunting and shallow hero.

The set design, direction and feel of the film was all top-notch. I did really love how the film subtly shows how the Braddock family drifted into the Great Depression. It’s an amazing transformation. Another thing I really enjoyed was the performance of the maniacal champion Max Baer, played by Craig Bierko. This is probably Bierko’s best performance to date.

I really did feel that “Cinderella Man” was nothing more than another boxing film with an all-star cast. But it’s the performances that make the film worth seeing. Sure there is plenty of déjà vu in this film but sometimes you just need an underdog to cheer for.

So Says the Soothsayer



Dean Kish

Moviegoers love to cheer for the underdog. No wonder Hollywood makes so many films based on this popular theme. The success of motion pictures like “Seabiscuit,” “Rocky” and “Million Dollar Baby” can be attributed in large part to their emphasis on overcoming almost impossible odds in order to achieve a goal. “Cinderella Man,” director Ron Howard’s biopic about Depression Era boxer James Braddock, wrings every bit of emotion out of this tried-and-true storyline. Fortunately, it does so with considerable style and heart.

Russell Crowe’s believable portrayal of Braddock should remove any remaining doubts about his acting ability. Transforming himself into a man trying to keep his family together during the depths of the Depression, Crowe physically reminds me of the real Braddock I’ve seen in newsreel clips – even though he doesn’t look a bit like the actual man. How can that be? It’s probably because of the attitude Crowe projects and the gentle but determined look in his eyes. Adding to the realism of his performance, Crowe adopts a convincing New Jersey accent – one that’s very easy on the ear.

I particularly admire the sensitivity of Crowe’s performance in scenes depicting Braddock’s tender relationship with his children. A father’s love shows in this Oscar-winning (for “Gladiator”) actor’s face while playing at boxing with his little daughter and when promising his young son he’ll never send him away, no matter how bad things get. These are truly moving film moments. In contrast, Crowe displays all the machismo needed in the well-filmed fight sequences.

As with “Raging Bull,” my favorite boxing movie, the prize fights in “Cinderella Man” had me bobbing and weaving in my theater seat as if I were right there in the ring with the pugilists. My heart pounded more rapidly with every punch that landed on our hero’s bruised face. And, like others in the audience at the screening I attended, I applauded each Braddock win after his surprising comeback. It takes more than good acting to get this result – no doubt Howard’s crowd-pleasing direction, Salvatore Totino’s compelling cinematography, impressive editing by Dan Hanley and Mike Hill, and a first-rate screenplay by Cliff Hollingsworth and Akiva Goldsman helped to create this riveting film experience.

Why did Braddock, a man who lost everything in the Great Depression, a boxer who quit the game because of injuries and other bad luck, decide to fight again? Certainly not because of his wife Mae (played with furrowed intensity by Renée Zellweger); she can’t even bring herself to attend his boxing matches. And not out of pride or a search for glory. Braddock agrees to fight again because the meager jobs he can find don’t pay enough to feed his children or keep them warm. When Braddock wins his first comeback fight – arranged for him by his fast-talking former manager (Paul Giamatti in a terrific supporting turn) -- the entire downtrodden nation begins to identify with him, and writer Damon Runyon christens Braddock the Cinderella Man.

The film ends with an extremely bloody battle between Braddock and heavyweight champion Max Baer (Craig Bierko, hunky and menacing in this brief role), whose fists had already killed two opponents. Granted, this bout goes on a bit too long and wore me out, but I’m not complaining. Nor do I still feel disappointed about how long the film takes to get to its exciting parts. Those early dark and gritty Depression sequences give the movie its sense of place and time, and they serve as the doorway to the movie’s great heart.

Betty Jo Tucker

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.

Ryan Izay

The Beautiful Mind team is back for another edge-less film based on a true story, this time an astonishing tale from Depression-era America. The events are strong enough to keep us gripped, even though the writing and direction are flat and bland.

Jim Braddock (Crowe) was a successful boxer whose career ended due to persistent injury at the same time the nation was plunged into Depression. Struggling to support his steadfast wife (Zellweger) and three kids (Price, Waller and Louis), Jim works on the docks until, out of the blue, his manager (Giamatti) offers him a one-time boxing comeback. Way against the odds, Jim wins. And life takes another astonishing turn.

As Braddock's life follows the highs and lows of this period in American history the film finds strong resonance in both the personal and historical dramas. Crowe once again creates a character who's fascinating and authentic in the high drama, dark comedy and brutally thrilling boxing scenes. And his relationships are portrayed with a steely honesty by the stalwartly grimacing Zellweger, the lively and engaging Giamatti, and especially the open-faced Considine as a brittle, proud friend. His is perhaps the film's finest performance, even though the fictional character is underwritten and poorly plotted.

The excellent acting almost obscures the poor writing and direction. It looks fantastic; no expense was spared to recreate New York and New Jersey in the Great Depression, but it's so warmly lit that it feels like a big-budget film, not real life. Sets, costumes and props are far too slick and detailed; snow looks sprayed onto the ground. And themes are similarly laid on with a trowel--male pride, female stoicism, heart-wrenching family drama, commercialism/greed versus honour/decency. There are several scenes that are genuinely emotional (Jim approaching the boxing bosses for help) and exhilarating (the surging crowd at the final bout). But the script continually undercuts the story with contrived plotting (reducing Bierko's superb Max Baer into the villain of the piece) or gooey sentiment (sending Zellweger into the locker-room for a stirring climactic speech). Braddock's life is a great story. But this is a terrible film.

Rich Cline

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