The Greatest Trick

There is nothing in Cinderella Man that you haven’t seen before in countless other boxing and sporting films. In fact it seems to echo racing drama Seabiscuit more than anything, given its setting in the Great Depression, heroic protagonist who proves a “peoples champion”, and so forth. That’s not to say it isn’t good. It’s very good – outstanding in many parts. Despite being hopelessly sentimental and throwing every possible cliché into the mix, somehow it works.

For the uninitiated, it’s a biopic of real-life boxing legend Jim Braddock who was modestly successful in the ring in the late 1920s. When a broken hand caused his boxing licence to be revoked, he fell on very hard times during the 1930s. He and his family struggled to survive, but he eventually managed to regain his licence, win a number of fights, and ultimately challenged an extremely dangerous heavyweight champion (who had killed two men in the ring).

Ron Howard is never a director I get particularly excited about, but he is a solid and reliable pair of hands, and Cinderella Man is probably his best film to date. Compared to other boxing movies, it’s not in the same league as the astounding Raging Bull or the equally brilliant (if morally abhorrent) Million Dollar Baby, but it’s easily better than Rocky.

The cynical side of me would love to hate this film. Anything billed as “inspirational” or “a triumph of the human spirit” I am predisposed to dislike. Nevertheless, I was bludgeoned into submission by the superb performances of Russell Crowe and Renee Zellwegger. And please please please don’t be put off by Crowe’s presence. He gives a great performance and why people can’t recognise an actor’s talent despite their real-life shenanigans is quite beyond me.

Although it got glowing reviews Cinderella Man bombed at the US box office. Go and see it and make it a hit over here at least.

Simon Dillon, September 2005