Friday , March 29 2024
Guest Reviewer Mil Peliculas goes a few rounds with the Cinderella Man

DVD Review: Cinderella Man

Guest Reviewer Mil Peliculas

Directed by Ron Howard
Written by Cliff Hollingsworth and Akiva Goldsman

I missed Cinderella Man when it hit theaters, as did most folks at the time. I’m not sure what it is about this film that doesn’t quite jump out at audiences–it certainly was well produced, well acted, so what gives? Don’t look to me for answers, I’m just a reviewer…all right I do have a theory, but give me a second.

Universal’s release of the DVD of Cinderella Man is pretty “by the book.” The picture quality is, as to be expected, excellent, and the DVD features quite a few extras, which include deleted scenes and some featurettes about the making of the film. Boxing enthusiasts will enjoy a short segment on legendary trainer Angelo Dundee, who has a small role in the film and also served as a technical advisor. I’ve always had a soft spot for him so that was nice to see. Now on to the film itself.

Cinderella Man is a competent film that follows the not-too-well-known but quite extraordinary story of Jim Braddock, a depression era boxer whose astonishing comeback captured the imagination of a nation that was greatly in need of a hero at the time. The hard-working fighter lost everything during the depression, and had to take advantage of government assistance programs in between stints working on the docks and battling injuries sustained while fighting for pennies–until fate handed him a chance to prove himself. He became the Seabiscuit of the Boxing world and the story truly was captivating.

Crowe and Zellweger handle their parts well and Ron Howard pilots the ship into the dock without much trouble. Yet, that being said, the film never really catches fire. There are good moments, enough to make me recommend the film for a nice evening at home, but you’ll probably find yourself more interested in looking up the actual facts of the real Jim Braddock than talking about the merits of the film itself.

I tend to think that this type of “forgotten underdog” film does not lend itself to big stars and fully orchestrated music with the typical Hollywood moments that telegraph its punches like a tired south paw. This is the type of film you’d like to see an unknown or b-actor rise above themselves and turn in a great, subtle performance. It should have been as scrappy as its subject, but the treatment was just too grand to do it justice in a way.

There, I said I had a theory, and there it is. Could you imagine if Rocky had starred Paul Newman, been directed by Francis Ford Coppola with music by John Williams…it really just wouldn’t be the same. Still, the film is a good recounting of the story of Jim Braddock, who deserves to be remembered, so I’d recommend at least a rental on this one.

Mil Peliculas is a member of The Masked Movie Snobs

About Gordon S. Miller

Gordon S. Miller is the artist formerly known as El Bicho, the nom de plume he used when he first began reviewing movies online for The Masked Movie Snobs in 2003. Before the year was out, he became that site's publisher. Over the years, he has also contributed to a number of other sites as a writer and editor, such as FilmRadar, Film School Rejects, High Def Digest, and Blogcritics. He is the Founder and Publisher of Cinema Sentries. Some of his random thoughts can be found at twitter.com/GordonMiller_CS

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