Cinderella Man is a good movie even if it does follow the plot of almost every other sports underdog plot, complete with getting in shape music montage (set to Irish music this time). It’s like Rocky set during the great depression. The depression era setting adds to the sense of struggle and gives all the characters in the movie something that they’re trying to overcome. Being based off real events adds a lot to the pull of the film too.
Russell Crowe seems to be his usual Gladiator kind of character: noble, family oriented, intelligent and physical. It’s a good character for him and it hasn’t gotten old for me yet. I swear every movie Russel Crowe is in has to be over two hours long. I’ve been seeing a lot of Paul Giamatti lately in movies like this one, Sideways and American Splendor, and I’m glad he’s getting some better roles.