Cinderella Man Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

Cinderella Man Blu-ray Movie Review

Awesome picture and sound lift up a period piece about a boxer struggling during the Great Depression.

Reviewed by Greg Maltz October 18, 2008

During the current economic downturn, comparisons to the Great Depression are starting to crop up. People are worried, unemployment is climbing and investors are wondering if the stock market floor will give way again. So the relevance of Cinderella Man has grown even beyond what director Ron Howard and lead actor Russell Crowe envisioned for the movie. The period piece follows the true story of James Braddock, a seemingly washed-up Irish-American boxer from New Jersey who came to embody the hopes and dreams of a nation plunged into depression. Through a series of tough fights and miraculous upsets, Braddock becomes a symbol of American perseverance, grit, determination and triumph. Howard gives Crowe plenty of room to operate and, as usual, Crowe pulls off his role with effortless abandon. He doesn't try to be James Braddock. He is James Braddock. Whatever his method to prepare for a role, it works. Crowe won a Golden Globe award and Screen Actors Guild award for his performance. The supporting cast is also strong, with Paul Giamatti as Braddock’s manager, Jim Gould. The performance earned Giamatti an Oscar, Screen Actors Guild award and Golden Globe award for best supporting actor. The film also won Oscars for Best Editing and Best Makeup, which are both critical for a boxing movie. The Blu-ray import is award-worthy too, featuring a gorgeous transfer to 1080p. The A/V quality is exceptional.

Though not the most athletic actor, Russell Crowe convincingly transforms himself into boxing legend James Braddock. The fight scenes have serious impact and realism on Blu-ray.

The story kicks off with Braddock winning a bout by TKO. Not long after that, he suffers a broken hand. Though he was a contender for the light heavyweight championship, the injury soon forces Braddock to retire from the ring and work as a dockhand to support his family. As his dock jobs and money dry up and the depression sinks its claws in, Braddock hits rock bottom. The problems create tension with his wife, Mae (Renee Zellwegger). She sends their kids to stay with one of her relatives when Braddock is no longer able to afford care for them and the electricity is shut off. But Braddock’s dreams about reviving his boxing career suddenly come true when a challenger in a heavyweight bout backs out at the last minute. Boxing promoters, wanting a massacre to excite the fans, agree to let Braddock return to the ring. But he surprises everyone by knocking out his opponent in the third round. Braddock continues fighting despite disabilities to his hands and unscrupulous boxing promoters who care more about lining their pockets than giving him a fair shake. Can Braddock keep winning? Can he earn a match with the brutal champion Max Baer (Craig Bierko) for a chance at the heavyweight title? The best way to see the film is on Blu-ray.

Cinderella Man delivers several noteworthy achievements, such as the recreation of Toronto and the interior of Maple Leaf Center to look like New York City and Madison Square Garden more than 70 years ago. But the highlight of the film is Howard’s and Crowe’s excellent work on the fight scenes. Boxing movies like Rocky did not attempt to portray the sport realistically. The fights in the series seem childish--more like WWF than boxing. Director Martin Scorsese opted for an artistic, minimalist style in Raging Bull, which was far more realistic. But Howard achieves even greater realism in Cinderella Man (although his $80 million budget gave him access to important resources unavailable for the $18 million Scorsese film).

With innovative camerawork, makeup and postproduced special effects, Cinderella Man not only captures the feel of being in the ring and the physical impact of boxing, but also the different strategies and fighting styles of each bout. Howard is not totally original. Some of the techniques he uses are borrowed directly from director Martin Scorsese. For example, Howard’s inclusion of a flashbulb-popping frenzy as photographers point their cameras is a homage to Scorsese's Raging Bull. Crowe is not the most athletic actor, but he exhibits good form, stance and attention to detail in his portrayal of Braddock. He never overacts his pain or elation (in contrast to Sylvester Stallone's Rocky, for example). The viewer has a visceral reaction to Crowe, as if watching a real boxing match rather than a scripted, choreographed movie scene. The film's ringside sportscasters and packed venue further convey a sense of excitement and improvisation. It should be noted that Clint Eastwood's Oscar winner, Million Dollar Baby, which was released just prior to Cinderella Man, also delivered realistic fighting scenes. But at the risk of being branded a sexist, women just don't have the same impact as men in a boxing ring.

Cinderella Man Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Stylistically, Cinderella Man serves up an interesting picture. Scorsese tackled the same issues in developing a period piece about boxing legend Jake LaMotta. Raging Bull was filmed in black-and-white, which meant that Howard could not choose that style without being accused of copy-catting. Instead, Howard opts for color, but uses a muted scheme with unnatural, slightly underemphasized contrast and color heat. The picture often has a brown, gold or orange palette that harkens back to sepia tone. This scheme works for me, but your mileage may vary. Some viewers will like it and others will not. But there is no denying it transfers very well to Blu-ray. I like it because it ties in to an earlier age of silent film, while keeping the modern production firmly in the new mellenium. While the colors are often subdued, detail and definition are very good.

There is a slight haze and color wash in many of the indoor scenes, but in outdoor shots, the balance and resolution appear almost lifelike with just a gentle subdued element to cue in the viewer to the date of the story. Haters of film grain will delight in the virtual absense of noise, a feat rarely achieved on Blu-ray without dynamically squashing the picture and ruining the sense of depth. Personally, I would have enjoyed some grain and occasionally even more obtrusive film noise to lend to the look of the period piece. But there's no point in complaining about the video clarity and cleanliness. Black levels are inky and deep with no signs of digital anomalies. Skin tones and earth tones do suffer a bit from the muted color scheme. If you're looking for an ultrarealistic picture, look elsewhere, but for a period piece that will bring you back in time and remain fresh and relevant, the picture here is worth noting.

Cinderella Man Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

While the picture harkens back to a different age, the audio is engineered in a conservative, modern style that can be enjoyed on any 5.1 system. The dialog is anchored in the center. The score is stretched across the front left and right channels. But during boxing scenes, the surround channels and entire soundstage come alive. Listen carefully during Braddock's comeback match. Much of the excitement in the scene is generated by crowd noises and the deep bass rumble that communicates the size of the venue and impact of the audience. But sounds from the action in the ring appear very crisp and "fast", in the way the attack and decay of percussive noises of boxing gloves smacking flesh and feet maneuvering on the canvas. I like how the sound of punches was engineered. Each blow doesn't deliver a simple treble, midrange or bass sound individually, but rather a multidimensional combination that yields a staccato smack of all three simultaneously. When the action goes into slow motion, the audio also plays a big role in the tone of the scene. Aside from this, the emotive piano-based score has that authentic "ping" of a real piano, and the strings sound lush and sweet in the midrange. The music is gorgeous, but the editing and engineering may be the standout performance.

Cinderella Man Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The bonus features included on the import are actually very impressive. In addition to all DVD features, there is a "Movie Showcase" that delivers instant access to the most droolworthy cinematic moments you can use to demo the HD prowess of your home theater system. The three scenes are Braddock's fight with Lewis; round 15 of his nearly career-ending fight early in the film; and a training scene in the gym featuring dramatic lighting and celtic/folk fusion music. Wait until your buddies who have written off films like Cinderella Man and refused to go into debt to invest in a good HT system get a load of these high definition nuggets. The other features are unfortunately in standard definition, as they're ported over from the DVD (and have therefore been commented on extensively elsewhere). They include:

Deleted scenes with optional audio commentary, featuring "Madison Square Garden and Taxi", "Dick: Ben Pulls Gun", "Makeshift Splint", "Shoe Polish", "Soup Line", "Sell Shoes Through Roosevelt Montage" and more.

"Ringside Seats", a 9-minute documentary that features Howard interviews regarding his own research with writer Norman Mailer and others. The documentary is interspersed with actual footage of Braddock's championship fight with Baer, in which Howard and Mailer can be heard commenting on the boxing style and form. Crowe's similarity to Braddock's look and movements in the ring are simply uncanny. The actor did a great job copying not only the mannerisms of the boxer, but also his fighting style.

A 22-minute documentary that covers the casting choices, entitled, "The Fight Card: Casting Cinderella Man".

"Jim Braddock: The Friends and Family Behind the Legend" is an 11-minute documentary of interest to Braddock fans.

"Pre-Fight Preparations" is a three-part documentary, perhaps the most interesting of the bonus features. It includes "Creating the Reality", "Russell's Transformation" and "Inflatable People".

Cinderella Man Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

My only real criticism of the film is the strained chemistry between Mae and Jim, which is the fault of Howard and Zellwegger. But it isn't terrible and only affects a few scenes. The awkwardness is mostly alleviated by the commanding presence of Crowe, and certainly the fight scenes more than make up for it. Another bone I wish to pick is the way the film portrays heavyweight champion Max Baer. Though Howard isn't the first to make Baer out to be some kind of animal, it wasn't necessary for the film. The audience is already rooting for Braddock, who had more than enough motivation to try to defeat Baer without the comment about Mae before the fight. Baer was not a bad guy in real life, but he was often demonized and unfortunately, Howard decides to throw more fuel on that fire. Watching footage of Baer in the documentary bonus material, the large star of David on Baer's shorts is clearly visible (it was not in the film), as is his talent and power. But of course, Howard alters the character to suit his own purposes.

But enough nitpicking. In the ring, Crowe becomes Braddock in a way that seems to go beyond the physical realm. I don't know how Crowe does it, but he is arguably the finest actor of his generation. As for Cinderella Man, it was a wash at the box office. Perhaps the name turned away fans who didn't realize it was one of the greatest boxing movies ever made. Or maybe it was overshadowed by Million Dollar Baby or Crowe's real-life fight which landed him in court and got more press coverage than the movie. The Blu-ray is an excellent excuse to go back and catch in HD what audiences foolishly missed in the theater. Highly recommended.