Cinderella Man Review

Ron Howard has been a very on and off director for me. A Beautiful Mind and Rush are films I see as strong efforts. However, The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons were disappointments. With that said, I always look forward to a film attached to Ron Howard holding out hope that it could be great. I heard from family, friends, and critics who saw the movie that it is well worth a watch. I kept wanting to see it but I just never got around to it. Finally, last night I sat down and opened it up on Netflix. Overall, I really enjoyed the film, including its stark depiction of the Great Depression and inspirational tale of dedication and success. The Great Depression is a interesting point in American history and learning about it in school attracted me even more to the film. It was extremely fascinating to experience a very realistic depiction of the hardships that plagued millions of Americans across the country. I think this was probably the strongest element of this telling of Jim Braddock's life. The main problem I found with the movie was that it is a classic paint by the books story. It has the usual tropes of any sports movie. You have the down and under character who digs himself out of a ditch, defying expectations and reaching the top of their sport. Although it feels so familiar, Howard does a good enough job giving the characters convincing emotions and struggles that you are willing to forgive most of it. However, I was hoping that with Howard directing what I heard from many was an underrated film, it would leave more of an impact. Cinderella Man, is not an instant classic but it's heart and emotion bumps it to a B.