I am a fan of Russel Crowe the actor - not the man - and therefore I looked forward to seeing Cinderella Man this weekend. It's out on DVD after failing to do well at the box office in part because of the bad publicity that Crowe drew because of a brawl he had with a hotel concierge in New York while promoting the movie.
Crowe is great in the movie, but I thought Paul Giamatti who plays Crowe's boxing promoter was outstanding. The movie itself is another underdog to riches story on the lines of Seabiscit. Regardless of how many storylines you see plugging this narrative, it is still hard not to be emotionally invested in the underdog. I thought the movie was very well directed by Ron Howard and the fight scenes were exceptionally well shot. On an ironical note, there are several scenes in the film where Crowe's character - the boxer James L Braddock - is humiliated and provoked. And each time, he turns the other cheek and is a picture of calm. If only Crowe can emulate that in real life and tame his famous temper.
My hunch is that the movie might secure a best supporting actor nod for Giamatti.
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