I love this movie so much

It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

Don't Believe the Hype

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

Russel Crowe was astonishing and the movie had my stomach in knots as if I were watching it for real when he finally fought Max Baer.

Packing harder punches than legendary director Martin Scorsese's boxing epic "RAGING BULL" is the larger than life fact based underdog story of New Jersey boxer James Braddock and the emotionally piercing heartfelt struggles that he and his family sustained during the Great Depression. A film critic from "TIME OUT" magazine said it best when he stated that "the affection for Braddock and his story can be felt in every frame and heard in every word." Ron Howard's extraordinarily unforgettable "CINDERELLA MAN" in my strongest opinion is the greatest boxing film of all time. A genuine cinematic masterpiece that emotionally brings you to both your knees and to your feet and will forever be a surefire lock in my "TOP 20 MUST SEE FILMS BEFORE YOU DIE." This critically acclaimed film is an absolute best for the impressive and illustrious careers of both director Ron Howard (Apollo 13) and lead actor Russell Crowe (Gladiator). Russell Crowe's magnetic and visceral portrayal of boxing underdog James Braddock is still to this very day one of the most phenomenal acting performances of all time.

I don't know how many times I watched this movie. But the truth is it still entertains me. The movie clearly shows the pains and struggles that James Braddock had to face in his real life. Instead of picturing it as a mere sports flick, Ron Howard has tried to jell it with family elements, which immensely helped in elevating the quality of the overall movie. Russel Crow has given a solid performance, whereas it is Rene Zellweger and Paul Gimatti who wows me with their stellar performance. The boxing scenes were absolutely jaw dropping and thrilling enough to feel the intensity of the match. I would say this as a "Must watch" movie in the sports genre.

Cinderella Man starring Russell Crowe as James J. Braddock tells the story of Braddock's boxing life, and his riches to rags with a comeback to riches. His wife Renée Zellweger as Mae Braddock sticks by his side through it all even though she despises him boxing and risking injury. Paul Giamatti plays the role as Joe Gould who is James Braddock's manager. James was a successful boxer and lived a wealthy lifestyle for the late 1920's. He was a professional and boxing was his primary source of income. His time in the ring began to take a toll on his body, which is why Mae refused to watch him fight. James was proud and refused to ask for pity or accept defeat. He had broken his right hand and struggled winning matches. He wasn't as strong with his left and began to lose more than win. Eventually, James wasn't providing the hype that promoters wanted for his fights, and they revoked his boxing commission. This layoff happened as our country entered the great depression, and finding work was hard. No matter the situation James faced, he fought for his family. The struggles of providing food and milk, paying the electric, or even having firewood for sufficient heat were stacking against him. James found work on a loading dock that never guaranteed daily employment but wasn't making enough to pay his dues. Mae had worried about their three children getting sick, and sent them to her sisters for temporary keeping. Sending his kids away for support had broken James down, and he eventually asked for help, from the government assistance and his former boxing pals who seemed to be living in success. Throughout the movie, James never stopped fighting for his family, and he struggled to find work and support them ever way he could. Through it, all James and Mae stick together. The use of low key lighting throughout this movie built on the theme and helped the viewer feel the struggles of the Braddock family. The life struggles during the great depression lacked excitement and avoiding the use of vibrant lighting in the room was bright for the theme. Throughout the movie, the background sounds used to build on the scene and feel more than what we see I thought was unique. In a scene of Central Park where families lived in shacks, you hear the cries of people in the background of the scene shown. This same technique was also used in the fight scenes, and we heard the background of the radio announcers and crowds cheering while we watched the match. The theme is like the movie "IP Man" which has a man fighting for his family, either in a ring or at work. James' manager, Joe, visits him to offer him a previous fight against a number two contender as a "goodbye" to Madison Square Garden. James accepts the fight for the cash offer, which didn't sit well with Mae. She visits Joe out of frustration of him profiting on James risking injury. She learns that Joe was also struggling during the hard times and only acted to living wealthy. The fight was not in James' favor, however, in a stunning defeat, James wins by a knockout. Slowly James has been offered new fights which he continued to win. He had claimed milk was his motivation for his success, which few people understood. James had gone on to winning the champion title against a brutal opponent. No matter his struggles in life, James fought for success to take care of what was most important to him.