Cinderella Man: 8.5 out of 10.
Fantastic. Let's see... This is a well acted, feel-good story with exceptional camera work, particularly during the mesmerizing fight scenes. Russell Crowe, Renee Zellweger, Paul Giamatti... they're all great, but boxing and the human spirit are the true stars of this flick. Damn, I liked it so much I'm going to watch it again.
Of course, I loved this movie before I pressed play. The opening scene is an exterior shot of Madison Square Gardens in the late 20s and that scene was filmed hours after Michelle was born. How do I know that? I was there. I get chills just thinking about it. Other scenes were filmed in areas very familiar to me. The church scenes, including the interior shots, were of St. Cecilia on Annette Street at Pacific Avenue, a church I used to attend. The MSG interior shots were of good ol' Maple Leafs Gardens. Watching "Cinderella Man" is akin to enjoying a smorgusborg of Toronto locales.
Irregardless of the Toronto shots and memories of my daughter's birth, this is a fantastic movie. See it.
