Cinderella Man Details

Cinderella Man

Director Ron Howard and star Russell Crowe re-team after their Oscar-winning collaboration, A Beautiful Mind, for this rousing biopic. It's the true story of boxer James J. Braddock (Russell Crowe), a heavyweight contender from New Jersey nicknamed the Bulldog of Bergen, who lost his fame and fortune during the Great Depression only to win the hearts of the downtrodden during a spectacular comeback. Crowe is masterful as Braddock, with Renee Zellweger playing his wife, and Paul Giamatti as his loyal friend and manager, Joe Gould. The sharply observed script devotes a significant amount of screen time to the domestic struggles of Braddock's family; developing character and place with a wealth of period detail, so when the comeback starts, the payoff is enormous. The matches themselves are unforgettable: raw, intense, riveting, with more than a passing stylistic nod to Martin Scorsese's groundbreaking 1980 film, Raging Bull. Though it may sound a bit formulaic, one should remember that this is the true and original underdog boxer story from which all others hail, and it's riveted together with true craftsmanship. Howard has a real skill for plucking audience members' heartstrings, and the performances are first-rate. Giamatti and Crowe play off each other in a rapport perfectly suited to their roles, especially at the ring, where the one's manic intensity makes a perfect contrast to the other's warrior grace.

Starring	Russell Crowe, Renee Zellweger, Paul Giamatti, Craig Bierko, Bruce McGill, Paddy Considine, Krysta Carter
Director	Ron Howard
Studio	WALT DISNEY STUDIOS HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Run time	DVD: 2 hrs 19 mins Blu-ray: 2 hrs 19 mins
Certificate
Genres	Audio Descriptive, Drama, Sport
Language	DVD: English, English Audio Description Blu-ray: English
Dubbed	Spanish
Hearing-impaired	English
Subtitles	DVD: Danish, English, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish
Released	DVD: 30 Jan 2006 Blu-ray: 12 Nov 2007 Production year: 2005
Format	DVD