Movie Review: CINDERELLA MAN

Cinderella Man is almost the perfect movie--it has a morally upright hero, and is a compelling riches-to-rags-to-riches story. I'm a sucker for a great historical biography, and this one pulls no punches in that department.

Cinderella Man tells the true story of James J. Braddock (Russell Crowe), a title-contending boxer, whose career is stalled by the Great Depression. Having invested mostly in stocks and a taxi cab company, Braddock finds himself in the same situation as most men with families in 1930s urban America--looking for work each morning at the docks. Braddock shows class and strength as he sacrifices tenderly for his wife (Renee Zellweger) and three young children.

SPOILER ALERT!
When Braddock is given a chance to fight again--after having been decommissioned for failing to satisfy fight fans (he fought weakly with a broken hand)--he is given a one-time opportunity to fill a slot on a fight card at the last minute. Needless to say, this is where his rise begins again, but not before he's confronted by the serious prospect of losing that which is most important of all.

At one point, early in Braddock's comeback, I actually felt a catch in my throat--and in the end, tears ran down my cheeks as I took in the big finish--that's when you've got a great movie.

This film was drenched in the flavor of the era; the sights, the sounds, the dialogue--and the performances were wonderful, from Crowe (one of the top three actors working today), to Zellweger, to Paul Giamatti as Braddock's manager, Joe Gould. And Craig Bierko as Max Baer was menacingly effective.

I'm being picky here, but the one thing I would have liked to see differently, would be the finish. Instead of ending so big, I would have liked to savor the finish a little more--to end with a little of the day-to-day life that would have followed the big fight. But that's just me... Grade: A