Cinderella Man Review

Cinderella Man

Starring
Russell Crowe, Rene Zellweger, Paul Giamatti, Paddy Considine

Director
Ron Howard

Cert
12A

Ron Howard and Russell Crowe team up again for this inspiring, real-life story about Depression-era boxer Jim Braddock. This time they take Rene Zellweger along for the ride and she proves a great companion - her character is the emotional centre of the story. Braddock was an amateur in the 1920s who found success using his fists, but his career came to a standstill after a series of injuries. When the Depression hit his earnings from working on the New Jersey docks, he returned to boxing in order to support his wife and kids. After miraculously winning a fight against a star boxer he went on to compete for the world heavyweight crown.

This is a fantastic tale of strength and self-belief that's also a winner in the ring - the impressive fight scenes will keep even viewers apathetic about sport on the edge of their seats. The only downside is Howard's tendency to ignore his protagonist's faults and spin him into a hero, Hollywood-style. As such, Jim and Mae's marriage is perfect, they never have a cross word to say to each other, but Crowe and Zellweger give superb performances that help allay that.

Crowe has lost his paunch while learning how to punch and reminds us why Gladiator had all the ladies swooning in the aisles. He gives another excellent and sensitive turn, but it's Zellweger that has more to get her teeth into as his fraught wife, who knows that every time they say goodbye it could be the last. Paul Giamatti, as Braddock's manager, and Paddy Considine, as his mate, are just two of the talented supporting cast.