Grade: A | Genre: Drama Summary: In what is sure to be one of the film highlights of 2005, Crowe and Zellweger are at their best as Ron Howard creates a stunning drama where the human spirit can't be contained It was the last days of 1920s and life couldn't be more glorious. The American economy was booming along at breakneck pace, propped up by a speculative frenzy. Work was plentiful to all who wanted it and novel luxuries like the radio and the automobile were finally becoming part of the everyman's staple household items. Up and coming boxer, James J. Braddock was lighting up the boxing circuit with his lethal right jab with the look of a sure fire title contender. Four grueling years later, life couldn't be anymore different. The country was in the deepest throws of the Great Depression. 15 million couldn't find work, and Americans wondered where the money would come from to pay the mountain of bills. How would they feed their children? Braddock, once one of the most promising boxers of his time, was crippled by injury and encroaching age. Who would have an answer to the direst questions that seemed to stare through this generation without hope?

Cinderella Man, as he was dubbed by Damon Runyon (only the faintest relation from what I'm told), is based on a true story of one man's struggle to overcome the strain of poverty and to silence the naysayers who said he was too old to be a real contender. Russell Crowe steps into the skin of James J. Braddock to become the complete embodiment of this complex emotional character. Braddock gets his license revoked when the boxing commission deems him an injured, washed up fighter that the fans won't show up to see anymore. In that faithful decision, he loses his grip on the bottom rung. He's reduced to fighting for shifts at the shipping docks and living from day to day, wondering where the next meal is going to come from to feed his starving family and how long it will be before the creditors start blacking out their electricity. Every day when you think their life can't sink any further; life gives them another sucker punch to the gut. When Jimmy describes his need to box to his wife, he simply states that in the ring "at least I know where the punches are coming from." The times are hard, and Ron Howard wraps the audience up in this despair with his attention to detail. We experience the subhuman living in the Hoovervilles and witness the deep line creating a chasm between the haves and the have-nots. Seldom has the air of a time been captured so poignantly.

Cinderella Man Starring: Russell Crowe, Renee Zellweger, Bruce McGill, Craig Bierko & Paul Giamatti Director: Ron Howard Buy Cinderella Man. You may also like... Rocky Seabiscuit Million Dollar Baby Email this article to a friend Curves Duluth Discover a Gym Where Women Can Change their Lives 30 Minutes at a Time www.curvesduluth.com Buy Movie Tickets Online Don’t wait. Make sure you have Tickets & skip the box office line www.fandango.com Curves Duluth Discover a Gym Where Women Can Change their Lives 30 Minutes at a Time CurvesDuluth.com

Russell Crowe gives us his usual genius that we've come to take for granted. Say what you will about his recent bouts with Tom Cruise to settle who will be the year's biggest tabloid wanker; he is an exceptional actor who elevates every film he is associated with. He encapsulates characters so well, that I've never actually seen Russell Crowe. He is Jeffrey Wigand (The Insider), John Nash (A Beautiful Mind) and, in this case, James J. Braddock. When his family is destitute, he chokes down every ounce of pride and begs for money among the people who consider him a god among men. The moment is so genuine that it hurts to watch. He falls apart when his children are sent away because of a promise he made to his son, which he couldn't find a way to keep. When he steps into the ring, we feel each slamming fist. We endure the impossible odds stacked against him. Russell Crowe makes all this happen like few actors could. He is the Marlon Brando of our generation. To say he's Oscar worthy is redundant, but so is Renee Zellweger's performance. She's always been a solid actress, but I've never seen her raise her craft to this level. Her need to let Jimmy fight, to satisfy his inner demons and to put food in their families' table, always gets ripped to shreds by her fear that one day he will walk out the door to leave her a widow. Her torturous cognitive dissonance eats at her like a tapeworm until her emotions implode.

As great as these actors are in these rich roles, this is ultimately Ron Howard's film. He had the unenviable task of man handling this challenging script. While it is very good, it is awash in sentimentality. A boxer fighting to put food in his children's mouths while carrying the hope of an entire generation on his shoulders, I mean come on. The odds of this film capsizing into the vat of warm fuzzies was an almost certainty, but he plays it extremely sharp, focusing on the times and then on Braddock's reaction to the situation he's forced into. It almost feels like a historical documentary in its execution where he left the feeling in the background to subtly needle into us, and at those perfect moments, it grips hold.

I don't have to watch the remaining films of 2005 to say that this will rank among the best. Crowe and Zellweger are at their best as Ron Howard creates a stunning drama where the human spirit can't be contained. It takes every punch to the head and keeps charging back in for more punishment. The release date on Cinderella Man is perplexing. You don't sneak a high browed, Oscar worthy drama into the summer movie season, full of explosions and over paid actors. This is a film that ripens in November and December. It's had good word of mouth to pull in traffic, but it hasn't been enough to keep it from creeping into the mini-theatre at the Cineplex. Don't let this deter you. See this film while you can experience it on the big screen because there is a lot here that will lose its muster should it debut in your living room. It is an inspiring film in a time we really need a strong shot of inspiration.