Anyone that knows me knows that I am a HUGE Boxing fan and Cinderella Man doesn't disappoint. Beyond this being your 'by-the-numbers' Boxing movie, this is a fantastic film anchored by Russell Crowe as James J. Braddock and Renée Zellweger as his wife Mae. They both are brilliant in their respective roles and bring warmth and depth in their portrayals. Also fantastic was Paul Giamatti as Jim's Trainer. But the real star of the movie is director Ron Howard. I love the visionary style that he brings to his movie he creates and this one is no exception. I applaud him for really setting up what the entire movie is about: Perserverance and picking yourself up off the ground as everyone is hit hard by the Great Depression. When Jim get's a one in a million shot to fight again, you absolutely know and can related to what he is really fighting for this time around.

This movie is for fans of the human spirit. You don't even have to be a fan of Boxing to enjoy this. I absolutely recommend this as a Buy, which equals to a Rent for those of you on the fence about sports movies. Just a heads up as far as some inaccuracies regarding Max Baer (Craig Bierko) being portrayed as vicious and violent in the film, he was actually a decent man. But this being a Hollywood production, they tend to lean toward the school of thought that you have to have an antagonist as extreme as possibly to threaten the hero of the movie.