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Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Cinderella Man (2005) in Movies

Jan 15, 2018

Cinderella Man (2005)

2005 | Action, Drama

8.2

(6 Ratings)

Movie Rating

Classic

Cinderella Man is one of those films where I ask myself, "Why in the world has it taken me thirteen years to watch this?" It could be the fact that I've never had a strong love for films based on true stories or that I'm all binged out on boxing movies. Whatever the case may be, I'm glad Movies 365 has brought this film into my life and now into my heart.

There's so much to like about the movie, I'm not even sure where to start. Maybe Paul Giamati giving the performance of his life as trainer Joe Gould? Talk about playing a fabulous role. He's brash and straightforward, yet full of heart. He's not a fighter, but will go toe-to-toe with anyone to protect the people he cares about. Outshining him, however, is a stellar lead performance by legend Russell Crowe playing man of the hour James Braddock. Crowe makes you feel this guy, makes you love him. In one of the early scenes where Braddock gives his entire breakfast to his starving daughter before leaving for a strenuous day of work, you quickly realize that this is a guy you want to get behind and root for.

In the same vein, kudos to Ron Howard for using the source material to flesh out the stakes. The story could have just as easily been about a man trying to get back into boxing, but he made it about a man trying to feed his family and survive. It's painful to watch at times, but necessary. If you're not the least bit inspired after viewing this film, I don't know what will do it for you.

Howard also succeeds with excellent pace management. Seamless cuts between fights keep the action fresh and the viewer engaged. You don't get a whole lot of time to catch your breath. The cinematics are shot in a way that's gritty and real, beyond fitting for the Great Depression era when the film takes place.

Other than me almost going hoarse from screaming at the screen so much, I can't find many flaws with the film (hiccups, nothing major). I challenge you not to love this film about an aging boxer that just wants to keep his family alive. I give Cinderella Man a 95.

Kudos

Chris Floyd (0 KP) rated Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017) in Movies

Dec 29, 2017

Battle in Snoke throne room (0 more)

Everything else (0 more)

Such a disappointment.

Contains spoilers, click to show

This film didn't sit right with me from the start with Poes mum joke from there it got worse, surface canons meant for defence not being able to hit a x wing, come on! I'd have got rid of the slapstick humour for a start, got rid of Kylo and Reys whatsapp messenger because that was shite, added a training section with Luke and Rey, got rid of the bit where Rey nearly goes one woman accapella beat boxing band in the cave, let Leia die in space because the Mary Poppins bit was already done by marvel and it would've been a good send off, would have made Snoke more formidable as he had a cheap death, give Finn and Rose a better story arc as it felt purely engineered to give them something to do rather than add to the story, made the battle with Snokes guard harder, let Luke and Kylo actually face off with sabres and echo Obi Wans death..... that's just off the top of my head after only seeing it once sure there's plenty more I'd change.

Kudos

Lily (2 KP) rated The Sun Eaters in Books

Jan 30, 2018

The Sun Eaters

Alex M. Pruteanu | 2018 | Fiction & Poetry, Young Adult (YA)

9.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

The story, the characters, the honesty, the spirit and heart of these lives imbued within the pages of a rather tragic, bleak time. (0 more)

Violence, death, famine, difficult topics and themes. (0 more)

Two orphan boys try to survive post WWII

This book will definitely grab your life-sac into a boxing ring, land a few right hooks, an upper cut, and drop kick you on the floor. But maybe, like the boys say in the book, you're one of the ones that can see the beauty in the strange, the love-hate of all good stories. So you'll put it down, make someone something to eat, feed yourself, fortify your bones to get at it again - finish it, tear a piece of one of the pages and chew it into a stew-like paste and swallow it. Forever making a little home for these boys inside your body. Maybe you'll eat a little bit more of it each day as you pray and work to keep the world one in which we don't have to eat the sun, dig our own graves. But be warned, once read their hunger might become your own. And hunger never dies.