In yesterday’s “what could be the frontrunner” rant, one of the titles I noted could really change things up by year’s end is David O. Russell’s “The Fighter.” Every indication I’ve received is that it’s a powerful piece of work and that Christian Bale is outstanding (so much so that a lead actor push was considered at one point). Well the trailer has just launched via Apple and it looks like a high gloss prestige pic that could absolutely strike the right chord. Check it out by clicking the link below or watch an embed after the jump.
Comments
52 responses to “‘The Fighter’ trailer”
Looks terrible.
Cinderella Man 2.
Christian looks great. I’ve heard good things about this too, but I think the trailer was kinda meh.
I think the trailer doesn’t show much about the quality, only the story and the performances. It’s a relief to see Adams not playing a nice girl.
I suspect it doesn’t say anything re:Leo’s part’s size because obviously Kris has heard she gets her chance to impress so I guess her part is bigger than what the trailer implied unless she’s a Viola Davis/Doubt case.
It looks great, and it might make it in that ninth or tenth slot, but every film is going to be gunning for those. It feels a bit like a feel good film, and I’ve never been a huge fan of Mark Wahlberg. I’m still not, but Christian Bale definitely has a shot at a supporting actor nod. He may very well get his first nomination this year. I’m not entirely sure of this yet. But this is a good indication that I was wrong, and it may get into the Best Picture race after all.
If this movie is as good as Micky’s first fight with Arturo Gatti, then expect a nom for Best Picture.
Mark Wahlberg’s limited range as an actor shows in the trailer, and it doesn’t focus much at all on Bale’s performance.. Hard to make any conclusions based on just this. I do like David O. Russell though so maybe it’ll be better than it looks and not so Hollywood-polished.
“Hard to make any conclusions based on just this.”
Hopefully you wouldn’t if you thought you could.
Jim: It’s smart marketing to sell the love story of the film, but Adams plays the more straight-faced role of the two. Leo has, I’m told, a very charismatic, showy part.
Looks very average to me.
Several things stand out to me – Melissa Leo’s costumes. Yowza. Even if she hasn’t a single word (umm). The music, is it from something? Sounds gorgeous. That shot of Christian Bale looking out through his opened door is quite haunting. Good on Amy Adams AND David O Russell for doing something different.
Looks like it could be good and we all know how much the Academy love their boxing movies.
Blindside for men. All kidding aside I enjoyed what this showcased. Bale seems to have a meaty role to devour and Melssia Leo and Amy Adams are always solid. Whalberg may be the weekest link of it’s cast but much like what is shown of his real life character in the trailer…he’s not worht giving up on just yet ;)
At any rate, it’s nice to have a Supporting Actor category that doesn’t have a locked win yet this year. Last year Waltz was the certain winner, before then it was Ledger, and before then it was Bardem. This year is looking much more competitive.
Man, Best Supporting Actress is just going to be old women this year.
I don’t like this trailer that much. It shows us nothing that Million Dollar Baby or Rocky didn’t have, except Bale. Bale looks like the real stand out performance here. The trailer isn’t much to go on, so I will still stick with your thoughts on this Kris, but I’m a little iffy on it.
Bale looks great, but the trailer makes the film look cliche to an extreme. Pulling for everyone involved, though, as I’m a die hard Wahlberg apologist, and I Heart Huckabees and Three Kings are great films.
That music was beyond cheesy. Looks pretty good though.
I really like it!!
“Christian Bale is outstanding (so much so that a lead actor push was considered at one point). ”
Seeing is believing.
Mark Wahlberg has yet to be upstaged in a David O Russell film. Mark’s O Russell collaborations have yielded his best work outside of Boogie Nights.
“Man, Best Supporting Actress is just going to be old women this year.”
I know a number of women Helena Bonham-Carter’s age — 44, by the way — who might just resent being prematurely branded “old.” What are you, 12?
Is there a cliche that they didn’t cover in this trailer? Looks schmaltzy and conventional, but I’ll hope the film is better.
It looks awful.
Talk about seeing Bale in a light I’m not used to. That goofy expression on his face in the trailer’s opening scene? It’ll be refreshing for me at least to see him not play his recent usual. I’m looking forward to this. And Amy Adams is never a complaint.
the trailer looks a few conventional but the screen tests said the movie was very likeable and refreshing
the trailer works well with me:it feels blood,cry…
Ummm…I’ll give it a shot but that trailer was totally forgettable. I know he seems like a good guy, but Mark Wahlberg is seriously one of the worst actors in Hollywood, which is why I’m hesitant to see if he can pull what looks to be a very demanding role off.
The film has a solid supporting cast, however. Christian Bale and Amy Adams are always great, and here they look to have pretty plum and memorable roles.
Too typical trailer for movies like these don’t work on me, but in the other way we have Christian Bale, so It deserves a chance.
I hope the movie has great things hide beyond what we saw on these 2 and a half minutes.
Guy Lodge: “What are you ? 12?”
CLASSIC.
Regarding the trailer, looks solid. It took me a bit to recognize Bale – wow. And Melissa Leo, though not in the trailer a lot looks kind of fantastic. I happen to love Mark Wahlberg and am hoping this is the film that showcases this guy. He’s already proven himself a great comedic talent and let us not forget that he is an Oscar nominated actor — not sure why people give him a hard time because I think he’s been great in everything he’s done. And Amy Adams playing a tough chick — lovin’ it! I’m totally in…. with kleenex in pocket!
Man why all the hate for Mark Wahlberg? He has been very good in a number of films.
As for his “limited range”, anyone that has following boxing when Mickey Ward was fighting knows he has one of the most bland personalities the sport has seen. He is not Muhammad Ali to say the least. If anything Mark is GIVING him personality.
I do find it odd that no one on imdb is listed as playing Arturo Gatti.
Well I’m disappointed. Looks way too sappy for me. I’ll still give it a shot but my expectations have really been lowered.
One more thing why isn’t Melisa Leo given a screen credit like all the other Academy Award Nominees?
^I was just thinking the same thing. If the buzz we’ve been hearing about Leo to be the one nominated over Adams (if one and only one get in), they might feel silly denying her a simple title shot with “Academy Award Nominee Melissa Leo” on it.
But looks good. Love the music too. I’m not a David O. Russell fan… lets see if that can change.
It’s weird, looking at the Best Supporting Actor stable this year, none of them seem to be playing mass murderers. Ah, well, the trend was fun while it lasted.
I like the trailer. Looks good. I’m glad to see Amy Adams playing against type.
Yeah, this is probably going to use every sports movie cliche in the book. But it doesn’t look too bad.
That was an awful whole movie in 3 minutes trailer. Footage was not what I was expecting at all. Color me intrigued…
[…] In Contention: Kris Tapley speculates about the awards prospects for David O. Russell’s “The Fighter” on the occasion of its trailer being released… finally! […]
and i thought i was cynical? look at the hate this trailer is getting in these comments. we judging films off trailers now people.
It is only a trailer, but that still means every overwrought / cliche-ridden scene in it will also be in the film. And there are some things you can judge from a trailer – accents, for one ….
Bale is looking like I’ve never seen him do before, and I like that. The trailer is a bit cliché but it’s selling the movie to a general audience. It’ll probably be much more subtle than that.
@ the other mike: have you never seen a trailer that made you think “that movie looks bad?” As far as I know nobody’s saying that the film is actually bad, just that it looks like it’s going to be. Seems like a perfectly natural trailer reaction to me, nothing cynical or hateful about it.
Kris,
I only meant that in regards figuring out awards potential. Just saying it didn’t tell so much either which way, at least not to me. Bale looks good, but he wasn’t in it enough that you could go out making any proclamations that he looks like a frontrunner.
This is the one I have been pointing at when talking about a best picture winner, and from the look of the trailer I think I will continue to do that until we get a clearer picture of which films will be the frontrunners.
I has that gritty thing that it looks like a best picture winner should have in these years.
But no matter what happens, I just want Christian Bale to get that nomination he deserves.
Guy, no need to be cranky. Its just an opinion.
I fully admit that I’m cranky. But calling fortysomethings “old” is not an opinion. Not a supportable one, at any rate. ;)
This looks very glossy and its polished sheen bothers me. I too did not recognize Bale. Amy Adams looks good, Melissa Leo wasn’t even credited, which makes me wonder about her screen time. I don’t know that this is the juggernaut that people have been hoping for.
I like the trailer, I think it needed a little more Bale, but I liked it overall.
Impressions:
Trailer is conventional, movie may not be.
Wahlberg looks meh.
Bale looks good.
Leo looks good and baity, but I feel like Adams will get the push (somewhat overdue, playing slightly against type, just had a baby, multiple nominee already, more on radar).
Looks like a potential Blind Side-ish entry. Though, this movie looks/should be considerably better than said movie.
I am glad to see Adams playing against type. I’m getting a Marisa Tomei (albeit not a stripper) vibe. I am hoping that the performances elevate the film beyond its potential cliches.
Would love to see Adams and Leo nominated together. Those glasses Leo wears in the film look Academy friendly.
I disagree that it looks like a Blind Side-ish entry. I think the contenders for that spot are Conviction and Secretariat.
More Million Dollar Baby than Blindside, but it fits the mold of a lot of the gritty, white-trash urbanite stories that have come out of Hollywood lately – none of them achieving Oscar success except for The Departed. But it is a boxing movie, and the voters do love them.
If this were a Eastwood or Scorsese film, I’d say it’s a shoe-in for multiple noms. I think it has an uphill battle unless it scores HUGE with critics, like top 5 of the year huge, and not just decent.
As for the trailer, I thought it was pretty good. Piqued my interest in the film. But I’m a guy and a boxing fan, so that’s no surprise.
I think it looks like it will be a very adept, interesting, entertaining, and artistically successful middle-brow movie. I don’t know why everyone sees trailers for movies like this and start saying what sounds to me like, “Meh… can’t be as good as Citizen Kane.”
It doesn’t look like it’s trying to be arthouse drama. It’s trying to be a mainstream, popular biopic. And a lot of those are pretty awful. But I don’t get the impression that this is one of the awful ones. It looks like it do quite well with the audiences and critics it’s looking to please, which is a success, right?
I’m looking forward to seeing it.
While it may not be an opinion, it was definitely made in jest. But I understand your mood. It happens. Anyway, I’m really rooting for Bale to go far with this one. I’ll see to it that Whalberg never gets a nomination again!