Too early to tell if Cinderella Man is Oscar contender

Thursday, June 09, 2005

Proving that even the summer movie season can produce Oscar hype, Cinderella Man packs an effective punch but maybe not enough to warrant its awards push.

The true story of former heavyweight champ James J. Braddock has its moments, and yet another good turn by Russell Crowe, but Cinderella Man doesnt feel as high-profile as it thinks it is.

The film opens with Braddock on the verge of greatness in the late 1920s. Flash forward five years and that promise has been squashed by the Great Depression. Braddock and his familys lavish lifestyle is gone and the fighter begins to realize that his boxing career is over. He tries to support his family by picking up jobs at the dock, but it isnt enough to prevent the bills from piling up.

But Braddock is given a second chance as a last-minute replacement in a tune-up fight for a heavyweight contender. When Braddock does the impossible and beats this contender, it leads to a series of unexpected wins that culminates with a victory over heavyweight champion Max Baer.

Cinderella Man is a true story tailor-made for the big screen, with its fairy tale-like ending. Screenwriter Cliff Hollingsworth and director Ron Howard do a good job of capturing Braddocks lows, making his highs that much more exhilarating for the audience.

Crowe continues to prove that he is a talented actor, with a solid performance that really captures Braddocks vulnerability. Paul Giamatti is also very good as Braddocks loyal corner man, Joe Gould.

Still, Cinderella Man isnt without its flaws. Rocky has cornered the market on boxing films, to the point that the film feels like it is playing off clichs made popular in the Sylvester Stallone franchise even though this story is based on actual events.

But the biggest problem is the usually reliable Renee Zellwegger, who is almost unbearable as Braddocks wife, Mae. Zellwegger tries to make Mae sympathetic, but she quickly becomes irritating with the performance almost resembling Zellweggers over-the-top work in Cold Mountain.

But even a questionable turn by Zellwegger isnt enough to make Cinderella Man unlikable. In a season where adult films are at a minimum, it is a breath of fresh air. As for those hopes of being an Oscar contender come December well have to wait and see.

Discount dandy of the week

This weeks discount dandy is Robots (C+) which has enough moments to merit a look at a discount price. But like Ice Age the first film from its creators, Chris Wedge and Carlos Saldanha there just isnt enough to add up to more than an OK movie.

The film follows the exploits Rodney Copperbottom (voice of Ewan McGregor), a young inventor intent on meeting his idol and making a name for himself in the big city. Along the way he is befriended by a group of misfit robots led by Fender (voice of Robin Williams), who help him try to stop a corporate robot (voice of Greg Kinnear) intent on advancing his own materialistic dreams.

The look of Robots is fairly impressive. There are some nice moments in which Wedge and Saldanha have fun with the huge scale of the surroundings and create images that rival anything Pixar has done in its animated films.

Unfortunately, the screenplay is not as impressive. Like Ice Age, it is the kind of story that just doesnt appeal to everyone.

Not to say Robots is a bad film. It is good enough to keep everyones interest for a while, and there is an appreciation for what the filmmakers were able to accomplish. Its just not good enough to measure up to the superior Madagascar, also in theaters now.

Robots is playing at the Plaza 6, where all movies are $1.50.

Sportswriter/movie reviewer Micheal Compton tried really hard to come up with something clever for this tagline this week, but this was all he could think of. You can e-mail him at mcompton@bgdailynews.com and help him out, but hell probably be too depressed to respond.  Daily News ·813 College St. ·PO Box 90012 ·Bowling Green, KY ·42102 ·270-781-1700