What It’s About
Based on the true story, of two brothers, Christian Bale plays the older brother, Dicky, who seems to find trouble everywhere he turns. Addicted to illegal drugs, his fighting career falls apart. His mother, played by Melissa Leo, uses younger brother, Micky (played by Mark Wahlberg) and her numerous daughters, to try to support Dicky, even to their own detriment. Like the old, “mom likes you best” jokes that siblings tell, in this case, Mom really did like Dicky best. He charms her and his family into sacrificing over and over for his good. Then Micky meets Charlene played by Amy Adams.  With Charlene’s support, Micky can now start thinking about his own career and life. He starts thinking about what is good for him rather than just his family. It brings up a question and guilt for him of whether by doing so, he is turning his back on his family.
My Take
I love, love, loved this movie!! Like King’s Speech, it is in my top three of the year. Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams and Melissa Leo all turned in amazing performances. Mark Wahlberg has always been one of my favorite but I think this is clearly one of his best. I saw him interviewed and he discussed the time and effort he put into making this movie – years and years. I thought his love of the story made his performance even deeper and stronger. Christian Bale is fairly new to me and I was blown away by him and Amy Adams. They looked so different than their in-real-life selves. Similar to Johnny Depp, I like actors that transform into their characters.
What Others Are Saying
“Powerful story, performances are a great combo.” – Boston Globe, Ty Burr
“…as thoughtful as it is rousing…” – Entertainment Weekly, Owen Gleiberman
Grade:Â A+
Sounds like a great movie. I love watching new movies!