I just had the privilege of seeing the film, The Fighter, and I think I owe it to myself to write a longer review than I usually do for it. Mark Wahlberg plays Micky Ward, a welterweight boxer who is being trained by his former-boxer brother Dicky, played Christian Bale. The film chronicles Ward's rise to fame as a world-class boxer. Supported by his girlfriend Charlene (Amy Adams), and his mother Alice (Melissa Leo), Micky becomes one of the most well known boxers in the world.
Mark Wahlberg, in my opinion, is a sorely underrated actor. Ever since I saw his wonderful and uplifting performance in I Heart Huckabees, I never looked back. His performances in films like The Departed (where he got his Oscar Nom), Three Kings, Invincible, The Basketball Diaries, and Boogie Nights, have proven to me that he has the talent to pull off a great performance. His portrayal of Micky Ward is another one to remember. Ward is quiet, but definitely has a voice. Being the smartest man in his family, he knows what's right and what's wrong. Ward wants nothing more than to be the best, but feels an obligation to take care of his family as well.
Christian Bale, playing Micky's crack addicted brother Dicky, is who steals the show here. How this man has not yet won an Oscar is beyond me, but it's a vicious circle, the awards business. Anyway, Dicky is Micky's driving force, but also the only reason Micky hasn't made it big. It's only when he gets arrested that Micky truly makes it big with the help of his girlfriend Charlene, perfectly played by Amy Adams. She represents all strong-willed and meaningful women who stood by their men when they needed them most. Adams' character is unforgettable.
Finally, Melissa Leo plays Micky's greedy and selfish mother Alice Ward. Leo has never ceased to amaze me with her skill, and her performance here is no exception. She truly makes you hate her, and for once, being hated is a good thing. Overall, The Fighter is 2010's The Wrestler, but make no mistake, they are not the same movie. Darren Aronofsky was set to direct this as a follow up to The Wrestler but he passed on the project to make Black Swan. David O. Russell took over the job and did a great job, while Aronofosky served as one of the executive producers, alongside the Weinstein Brothers. The Fighter can piss on Rocky's ashes anyday. I say that with complete confidence. It deserves a true A+.
So, people have been asking me how "gay" Long Beach really is. Let me give you a little insight into how gay LBC really is. Every bar within 10 miles of us has a big rainbow flag outside of it, and the names are things like, The Brit, The Gold Mine, The Falcon, etc. You can't walk down a street without seeing at least one tandem bike with two men on it both wearing pink wife beaters, and shorts that barely reach the lower thigh. Every cafe and restaurant has a shelf full of Echo magazines, and cards for free AIDS testing. Here's my personal favorite, one of our neighbors has Wi-Fi, and their network name is BigGayPenis Net. I know this because I made the mistake of trying to hack into their network. Never trying that again. So yes, Long Beach is a very gay place. Not that that's necessarily a bad thing. The shopping is good, and all the food is phenomenal. It has to be.
I've been in my dad's office all day, sitting with his awesome Assistant Manager Hernando, who actually reads this blog, so hey Hernando. Hernando is my favorite 1/2 Vietnamese and 1/2 Mexican person in the world. He's almost as funny as my dad too. Look out Henry, you got competition. But there was something my dad said today, and this goes in with my "I Can't Believe My Dad Said..." series. He said, out of the blue, to Hernando and me, "Fu#k guys, we forgot to celebrate Kwanzaa on Sunday."
Before I go, here's a small piece of one of my many infamous conversations with my friend Nikki. Enjoy, thanks for reading!
I called Nikki.
Nikki: Hey um, can I call you back in 10 minutes?
Me: Yeah su-wait, what do you need 10 minutes for?
Nikki: I'm uh-
Me: ARE YOU HAVING SEX?!
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