I watched Cinderella Man on the Academy Screener DVD that arrived this weekend. It was a pretty good film – nothing great, though. Russell Crowe plays Jim Braddock, the depression-era boxer whose story of achievement served as an inspiration to many of the downtrodden folks affected by the depression. As far as acting goes, Crowe did a fine job here – you truly felt that this was a man who had lost everything, and was desperate to make ends meet. Not as convincing was Rene Zellweger, who was just coasting through her role as Jim’s wife.
Directed by Ron Howard, the film has – as expected – no real distinct style. It could have been directed by anyone! However, the boxing fight choreography was pretty well done, and you could feel the impact of each blow. The nicest thing about the film was the sepia hued cinematography, which gave everything a warmth that felt like an old newspaper. Cinderella Man isn’t a “great film”, but it’s certainly a decent enough movie, and worth a rental if you need a feel-good depression-era rags-to-riches story.