I am not a big fan of boxing movies in general, nor of Russell Crowe in particular, so it’s really no surprise that I didn’t get around to watching the 2005 film Cinderella Man until just last night. Besides the two characteristics I just listed, Cinderella Man was also directed by Ron Howard, had a running time of over 2 hours, 20 minutes, and takes place during the 1930s — all elements that seemed to point to a boring movie. However, it’s based on a true story, and that’s what finally got to me in the end.

Plot summary (with possible spoilers): Crowe stars as James J. Braddock, a professional boxer from New Jersey who was on the brink of making it big. But then a couple of untimely injuries coupled with the crippling effects of the Great Depression sent Braddock into poverty and relative obscurity. He found himself having to line up in the hopes of getting picked to work on the docks just to keep his wife Mae (played by Renee Zellweger) and three kids clothed, fed, and sheltered.

Braddock still fought whenever possible, but the opportunities were few and far between (and the payouts were nowhere near what he was used to). At one of these fights, Braddock does so poorly because of a broken hand that the referee hands out a ruling of “no contest.” I guess that’s a big deal in boxing circles because Braddock had his pro license revoked after that, which meant he wouldn’t have this extra source of income anymore. As a result, he ends up going on public assistance and begging for money to keep his family together.

The rest of the movie then dealt with Braddock’s efforts to get his license back, and his eventual climb to the heavyweight title bout against Max Baer. If you know anything about boxing, then you know that the outcome of this fight is one of the most talked-about in pugilistic lore.

My Reaction: I was extremely surprised at how much I liked Cinderella Man. I thought Russell Crowe was fantastic in this movie, and believe that he’s the one that really made the whole thing work. Zellweger, Paul Giamatti, Craig Bierko, Paddy Considine, and Bruce McGill also turned in good performances, but Crowe carried them all. I don’t know anything about the real James J. Braddock, so I can’t tell you if Crowe depicts the fighter accurately or not. Nevertheless, he was wonderful here.

I felt that the movie did drag in a few places and could have been about 20 minutes shorter. Moreover, I would have preferred it if some of the boxing scenes weren’t quite so graphic. But I do understand that it’s a brutal sport and that’s what Ron Howard was trying to depict, so I’ll give him a pass on that.

Overall, I’m giving Cinderella Man 4 stars out of 5 and recommend that you give it a try if you haven’t done so already!

I usually make it a point to see Oscar-winning films as soon as possible in order to determine for myself whether or not they’re worthy of all the buzz. I take particular notice of films that win (or are nominated) in the Best Picture and screenwriting categories because I’d take a good story over good performances or cinematography any day.

But when the Alexander Payne film Sideways won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay, I wasn’t exactly enthusiastic about watching it. The previews made “Sideways” seem pretentious and overblown, with far too much dialogue and too little story, so I put it off until now. That was a mistake!

Plot summary (with possible spoilers): Paul Giamatti stars as Miles Raymond, a man whose life seems to be going nowhere. He’s an aspiring novelist who makes ends meet by teaching 8th grade English, and he’s been in a persistent funk since his divorce two years ago. The only thing that Miles enjoys doing anymore is attending wine-tastings. He’s something of an expert when it comes to wines and likes to showcase his knowledge to others, including his only friend Jack (played by Thomas Haden Church).

The basic setup of the film is this: Jack is getting married in a week, but before that, he and Miles are taking a trip through California’s wine country to indulge in various tastings, play golf, and generally enjoy Jack’s final days as a “free man.” Of course, to Jack, that also means hooking up with a random woman or two, just to get it out of his system. Miles doesn’t care about women; he only wants to drink, so this becomes a source of constant conflict throughout the movie.

Miles and Jack eventually do meet two women who are very interested in them. Maya (Virginia Madsen) is a waitress at one of the restaurants Miles and Jack frequent, and she’s been attracted to Miles for quite some time. Unfortunately, he’s too self-absorbed and depressed to notice until Jack tells him. Stephanie (Sandra Oh) is a pour girl at a winery, and she hooks up with Jack. Stephanie and Maya are friends, so it seems like everything should work out well.

Of course, this wouldn’t be much of a movie if everything worked out perfectly, so you can bet that Miles and Jack get themselves into trouble along the way. The rest of the film then deals with the paths these relationships take and with the changes the characters undergo.

My Reaction: I was pleasantly surprised by Sideways. Even though I didn’t understand or care about the wine-tasting parts, I found the characters and their predicatments compelling enough to stick around for the ride. I was particularly interested in the relationship between Miles and Maya, and have to say that I liked the way Miles came around very slowly. He didn’t do anything out of character throughout the entire film, and I felt his arc to be genuine.

I could have done without the fat guy’s full-frontal nudity scene and without Stephanie bashing the hell out of Jack’s face with her motorcycle helmet, but whatever. I certainly wouldn’t tell someone to steer clear of the movie just because of those scenes.

Overall, I thought Sideways was a good film and I definitely enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I give it 4 stars out of 5 and recommend that you see it if you haven’t already!