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By
NICK ZEGARAC
Coming in at somewhere
between 'The Champ' and 'Million Dollar Baby' on
the feel-good barometer, 'Cinderella Man' is not
so much homespun Americana as it desperately wants
to fall back into that canon of old-fashion
flavoring for vintage quality flicks amidst one of
the worst summer offerings for tinny blockbusters
in easily the last decade. Director Ron Howard
thinks he's got nostalgia licked in this
over-dramatization of legendary Depression-era
comeback pugilist Jim Braddock (Russell Crowe) --
and to some extent that much is true. The film has
the look and feel of the thirties (not the film
world but the actual one in which Braddock emerged
victorious). Still, Braddock's warmth and nobility
are qualities that Crowe seems to be incapable of
mastering. He trips on the light fantastic, his
own tenacity as one of Hollywood's most
controversial semi-studs, working well and
overtime during the fight sequences, though rather
falling flat on his face during the melodrama.
There's little sentimentality here, something a
feel good flick is desperately screaming for.
Still, as a director, Howard's focus seems
misguidedly focused more on the Great Depression
and its impact on Braddock's relationship with
supportive spouse (Renée Zellweger) and loyal
manager (Paul Giamatti). The kids in the film are
mere window dressing -- an oversight that might
have worked better for the stand up and cheer
section of the film if we knew more about them.
Is the film well crafted…well, sort of. It boasts
impeccable production design, sterling
cinematography and skillful editing. But without
an overriding sense of genuine triumph over
adversity that is wholly believable, the
superfluous trappings are…well, superfluous. The
film undeniably looks good. Unfortunately, the old
adage of 'if it walks like, talks like and quacks
like…then it must be…' doesn't seem to hold true
in the final analysis. What the viewer comes away
with is a 'good for Braddock' sense of
satisfaction that comes strictly from the temporal
lobes -- leaving little to nothing for the heart.
Universal's transfer on Cinderella Man is a
winner. The anamorphic video is exceedingly
pleasing in all aspects of image and sound
quality. Colors are rich, bold and complimentary
to the subject matter. The image throughout is
razor sharp and will surely satisfy. Flesh tones
are natural. Blacks are deep and smooth. Whites
are clean. Film grain is kept to a minimum. There
are no discernable digital anomalies. The audio
packs a wallop that would make Braddock proud. You
can literally hear the echo of a punch from the
side and rear channels of your surround system.
Universal's extras are obsessive and extensive.
The best of these are 'The Man, The Movie The
Legend', which deals with the real Jim Braddock's
life and times, as well as 'Jim Braddock: The
Family and Friends behind the legend' and 'For the
Record' which chronicles the history of boxing.
There's also extensive press junket material for
the film, a making of and blow-by-blow section on
the construction of the fight sequences, some
deleted scenes, an audio commentary and fight
footage of Braddock against Baer, trailers. All in
all, Universal's extras are a workout for your
home theater system; legendary and encompassing --
perhaps a bit too much. |
