OSCAR nominated boxing biopic The Fighter, starring Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale, is the pick of films out in cinemas this week.

Film: The Fighter

Certificate: 15

Duration: 115 mins

Genre: Drama/Romance

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Melissa Leo, Jack McGee

Director: David O Russell

The true story of Micky Ward (Wahlberg), a talented boxer from Lowell, Massachusetts, languishing in the shadow of his half brother Dicky (Bale), who famously knocked down the legendary Sugar Ray Leonard then lost everything to the ravages of drugs and crime.

Trained by Dicky and managed by his monstrous mother, Alice (Leo), Micky accepts lacklustre fights for scant rewards until he is persuaded to cut himself loose from his loved ones and aim for glory.

New girlfriend Charlene (Adams), who works in a local bar, encourages Micky to follow his dreams, incurring the wrath of the rest of the Ward clan, who resent outsiders from interfering in family business.

Sure enough, Micky tastes victory and as his confidence grows, he faces the possibility of a shot at the world light welterweight title.

Rating: 7/10