Cinderella Man

Ron Howard is a funny one? On paper his movies always sound like they will be among the best of the year - they are well produced with high levels of detail and a nice gloss on them, always with big names and always promising a good experience. But the end product as a whole doesn't always add up to that promise. He has been accused of being sentimental, focusing more on the redemptive aspects of his characters rather than exploring them as real people, and that is mostly a fair judgment - I hated Beautiful Mind for that very reason (well that and the worst aging make-up ever seen) - but it is the movies and someone has to be out there creating unlikely heroes and a bit of popcorn escapism. On getting the DVD for Cinderella Man, then, I didn't expect too much. Crowe doing another gritty working-class hero, a boxer who's life goes down the pan, setting up for a glorious comeback, all sounded like predictable stuff. In many ways it was exactly that, but old Richie seems to have learned a few new tricks about light and shade in the interim, because this humble tail of the depression and the ancient art of pugilism is just about his career best film . It doesn't offer everything on a plate, doesn't patronise the audience so much, indeed it is for extended sections quite brilliant and beautiful. The photography and production design are exceptional, but this time the story and the characters are good enough to match. The relationship between Crowe's Braddock and his world-weary trainer, played by the ever impressive Paul Giamatti is a delight, and the journey they take, based on true events, touches you in a truly resonant way, perhaps because it is not merely one man's story but the story of a nation going through tumultuous times, and the story of people who had nothing and helped each other through it. I'd go as far as saying that this is one of the best films in its genre - one of the best boxing movies and one of the best underdog movies ever made. It bodes really well for this Summer's sure hit The Da Vinci Code, a film that I know I will see whether it is well reviewed or not, but it's good to have regained a little trust in Howard as a director. I was genuinely impressed and can only recommend it. 9/10 Kx