So after football I took a nap and woke up with a headache. I didn't think it was a heat exhaustion thing because I think you actually need to have worked your body pretty hard to get that. I couldn't do shit in football. Hehe! But it was still ridiculously fun and hopefully we can do it again next week. Upon waking up Derek called me up to go see Lords of Dogtown. I'm not a skating freak and while it probably isn't bad, I really need to be in the mood to watch something like that. Derek made some calls and told Roxy "nah". Well Derek I guess had his sites on a film so he got me out of bed and told me that we were going to watch Cinderella Man.

Brendan's Quick Film Review That You Guys Probably Don't Take Seriously

We all know that Ron Howard can direct. We all know that he likes to take survival stories and turn them into a hopey and good feely film. Well I say that is just fine. If Garden State is the film I wish I could make for 2 million dollars then Cinderella Man is the kind of film I wish I could make with a Hollywood type budget. Directing praises aside...a director's job is much easier when you have exceptional talent. Like Jonathan Hironaga. Or for this review's purposes, Russell Crowe, Rene Zellwegger and Paul Giamatti.

These three really got thier shit together. Besides Zellwegger's lines that sometimes come off as a bit cheesy (not her fault, but the script's), these actors really let the story play out on it's own rather than try to overwhelm the camera. I'm guessing all them will recieve nods for their preformances.

The cinematography is awesome. Derek really liked how it was all filmed. If you need a good comparison then think back to how Any Given Sunday had a very dark, dirty look with a lot of the camera playing into people getting lit up on the field. Cinderella Man is no different...each punch taken and delivered makes you stop and think for just a second..."shit I'm glad that isn't me"...then before you can collect yourself another punch just floored you again and again and again. While Rocky and Raging Bull made you feel the impact, Cinderella Man does it better since in the 20's and 30's boxing was at its darkest. The refs let the boxers really go all out without something like 23 stitches each stopping them.

The story itself isn't just about one man or one underdog like Rudy and then everyone relating to to them...the story has a backdrop of the Great Depression and Jim Braddock (Crowe) really was considered a hero among those struggling during those times. In a way you can say that Braddock was the only hope that these people had that things were going to get better. It is powerful and meaningful and makes you feel like a lazy bum for not doing anything meaningful with your life. I'm speaking for myself.

Bottom line: If you wait for this on DVD then you might regret it. The sounds (folly and soundtrack provided by Thoman Newman (Road to Perdition) who Derek and I agree has a very firm grasp of how we think the 20's and 30's sounded) really need to be heard in a theater. Usually dramas don't need to be seen on the big screen, but this one must be viewed at Century or CineArts. Sorry Rudy and Lucas...your underdog, bitch asses just got moved down the list...Jim Braddock just rolled into town and knocked ur shit out.

By the way the title "Cinderella Man" seemed gay to me also...but then after doing research on all the boxers in the film...this really was a nickname given to him by a reporter in the New York Times I believe, for his rise from down and out to hero.