Movie Review for Cinderella Man

Summary: During the Great Depression, a common-man hero, James J. Braddock--a.k.a. the "Cinderella Man"--was to become one of the most surprising sports legends in history. By the early 1930s, the impoverished ex-prizefighter was seemingly as broken-down, beaten-up and out-of-luck as much of the rest of the American populace who had hit rock bottom. His career appeared to be finished, he was unable to pay the bills, the only thing that mattered to him--his family--was in danger, and he was even forced to go on Public Relief. But deep inside, Jim Braddock never relinquished his determination. Driven by love, honor and an incredible dose of grit, he willed an impossible dream to come true. In a last-chance bid to help his family, Braddock returned to the ring. No one thought he had a shot. However Braddock, fueled by something beyond mere competition, kept winning. Suddenly, the ordinary working man became the mythic athlete. Carrying the hopes and dreams of the disenfranchised on his shoulders, Braddock rocketed through the ranks, until this underdog chose to do the unthinkable: take on the heavyweight champ of the world, the unstoppable Max Baer, renowned for having killed two men in the ring.

                         Reviews of Cinderella Man
By Kevin Carr of 7M Pictures (8/0)
            It will give you hope.

By Mike McGranaghan of Aisle Seat (8/0)
            It might not move your soul, but it at least puts a smile on your face.

By Phil Villarreal of Arizona Daily Star (8/0)
            Proves that there's always room on the shelf for another riveting, elegant boxing film.

By Philip Martin of Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (8/0)
            ...Seabiscuit crossed with Million Dollar Baby without the messy moral questions.

By Eleanor Ringel Gillespie of Atlanta Journal-Constitution (8/0)
            In this splendid Cinderella story, a requiem for a heavyweight becomes the redemption of a heavyw...

By Lori Hoffman of Atlantic City Weekly (8/0)
            ...Giamatti steals every inch of celluloid he can get his hands on ...

                         Reviews of Cinderella Man
By Marjorie Baumgarten of Austin Chronicle (8/0)
            Ron Howard and Russell Crowe have once again combined their efforts to create a big Hollywood bio...

By Nev Pierce of BBC (8/0)
            Crowe is at his best in the ring and while it's hardly surprising that he's a convincing bruiser,...

By Emily Blunt of Blunt Review (8/0)
            A tad bipolar, Cinderella Man's still remarkable film making...Russell Crowe is again, master and...

By Ty Burr of Boston Globe (8/0)
            ...tremendously moving.

By Dan Marcucci and Nancy Serougi of Broomfield Enterprise (8/0)
            ...on my top 10 list so far this year.

By Rob Thomas of Capital Times (Madison, WI) (8/0)
            The film just delivers on every level, not only as one of the great sports movies in recent memor...

                         Reviews of Cinderella Man
By Jonathan Rosenbaum of Chicago Reader (8/0)
            The storytelling is fluid and gripping.

By Roger Ebert of Chicago Sun-Times (8/0)
            Here is a movie where a good man prevails in a world where every day is an invitation to despair....

By Robert K. Elder of Chicago Tribune (8/0)
            Howard's relentless and flatfooted attack on our sympathies slips into monotony...

By David Sterritt of Christian Science Monitor (8/0)
            Ron Howard and his splendid cast have made a spellbinding movie that joins Million Dollar Baby, a...

By Russ Breimeier of Christianity Today (8/0)
            A fine alternative to the louder and more brainless summer movies competing with it -- an excelle...

By Jules Brenner of Cinema Signals (8/0)
            A powerful combo of history, sentiment and knowing how to ring an audience's bell. The choice of...

                         Reviews of Cinderella Man
By David Keyes of Cinemaphile.org (8/0)
            To be an audience-grabber at the heart is not always a pointless concept, and here the director a...

By Luis Martinez of Cinenganos (8/0)
            El hombre detrás de la leyenda, el caballero detrás de la bestia, el miserable y hambreado detrás...

By Karina Montgomery of Cinerina (8/0)
            I have never rooted for a sporting event in my life like I rooted for Braddock. I was on the edg...

By Cole Smithey of ColeSmithey.com (8/0)
            The boxing sequences here are better than those of Martin Scorsese’s bar-setting “Raging Bull.”

By Jeffrey M. Anderson of Combustible Celluloid (8/0)
            I only wish Howard could have shaped this and the other performances a little, toning them down o...

By Matt Brunson of Creative Loafing (8/0)
            Crowe's touching portrayal is instrumental in recruiting the audience's sympathies from the get-g...

                         Reviews of Cinderella Man
By Philip Wuntch of Dallas Morning News (8/0)
            If you used to love the movies, Cinderella Man will remind you of the movies you loved.

By Steven D. Greydanus of Decent Films Guide (8/0)
            A rousing picture and a genuinely inspiring one… one Cinderella story that goes the distance...

By Todd Jorgenson of Denton Record Chronicle (TX) (8/0)
            ...has the ability to balance formulaic schmaltz with enough genuine emotional uplift, avoiding e...

By Lisa Schwarzbaum of E! Online (8/0)
            ...classically told saga...

By Collin Souter of eFilmCritic.com (8/0)
            At this point in 2005, are you really going to complain about a well-made, well-acted, formulaic ...

By Dan Lybarger of eFilmCritic.com (8/0)
            Moves with footwork that would make the real James J. Braddock proud.

                         Reviews of Cinderella Man
By Erik Childress of eFilmCritic.com (8/0)
            Tears are likely to be shed at the end of Cinderella Man, but thanks to Crowe and Howard you won’...

By Emanuel Levy of EmanuelLevy.Com (8/0)
            Stirring and inspirational in the best and worst senses of these terms, this fact-based melodram ...

By Eric D. Snider of EricDSnider.com (8/0)
            Oh sure, it's a good movie, but only by process of elimination: You like it because there's no re...

By Eugene Novikov of Film Blather (7/1)
            There is nothing to discover and nothing to feel.

By Walter Chaw of Film Freak Central (8/0)
            Crowe deserves better than this--so do you.

By Rex Roberts of Film Journal International (8/0)
            As entertaining and uplifting a film as we'll get all year.

                         Reviews of Cinderella Man
By Pete Vonder Haar of Film Threat (8/0)
            A very good film.

By Rick Kisonak of Film Threat (8/0)
            It is an amazing story brought to life by gifted people and it will make you feel good without ma...

By Sean O'Connell of filmcritic.com (8/0)
            Apes the Rocky series, lifting bits and pieces from all five installments...I begged for Baer to ...

By Sean O'Connell of filmcritic.com (8/0)
            It's not Crowe's best work by a long shot.

By Brian Orndorf of FilmJerk.com (8/0)
            Cinderella Man is a fine production, but the film lacks spark where it needs it most: the boxing ...

By Victoria Alexander of FilmsInReview.com (8/0)
            Mature and unsentimental. Crowe’s commitment to truthful acting triumphs along with Bierko’s bre...

                         Reviews of Cinderella Man
By Todd Gilchrist of FilmStew.com (8/0)
            Scorsese’s Raging Bull initiated the stylistic flourish of flashbulb punctuation for a flying pun...

By MaryAnn Johanson of Flick Filosopher (8/0)
            [T]here’s an undeniable power to Cinderella Man, and it’s down to the intense and gripping perfor...

By Rob Vaux of Flipside Movie Emporium (8/0)
            Comforting and familiar -- and certainly, 2005 has been weak enough to welcome such qualities -- ...

By Michael H. Price of Fort Worth Business Press (8/0)
            'The film is ... as rich in Depression-era authenticity as such a picture gets, complete with a p...

By Jeffrey Lyles of Gazette (MD) (8/0)
            Crowe delivers an Oscar-caliber performance in an emotionally powerful film.

By Michael W. Phillips, Jr. of Goatdog's Movies (8/0)
            About as subtle as an uppercut to the chin.

                         Reviews of Cinderella Man
By Eric Lurio of Greenwich Village Gazette (8/0)
            It seems that Ron Howard has done it again. He keeps on getting better and better...

By Peter Canavese of Groucho Reviews (7/1)
            Cinderella Man may not be subtle, but it’s reminiscent of the well-crafted popular entertainments...

By Ross Anthony of Hollywood Report Card (8/0)
            An endearing story that will keep you at the edge of your seat, the edge of a cheer, the edge of ...

By Michael Rechtshaffen of Hollywood Reporter (8/0)
            Ron Howard delivers a knockout of an old-fashioned crowd-rouser.

By Jeff Otto of IGN Movies (8/0)
            This is Howard's best work since Apollo 13 and, if it weren't for the rough spots in Zellwegger's...

By Steve Rhodes of Internet Reviews (8/0)
            Bierko has to be an instant front-runner for the best supporting actor Oscar.

                         Reviews of Cinderella Man
By Jackie K. Cooper of jackiekcooper.com (8/0)
            A solidly entertaining movie - but Russell Crowe is basically playing Seabiscuit.

By Bruce Kirkland of Jam! Movies (8/0)
            Kudos to the excellent Paul Giamatti as well as Craig Bierko, Paddy Considine, Bruce McGill and C...

By JoBlo of JoBlo's Movie Emporium (7/1)
            All that said, I’m still scoring the film pretty high because ultimately I was entertained, enjoy...

By Alex Sandell of Juicy Cerebellum (8/0)
            The feel good bomb of the year.

By Andrea Chase of Killer Movie Reviews (8/0)
            Howard has taken one of the greatest comeback stories ever and turned it into a cloying bit of fl...

By Linda Cook of KWQC-TV (Iowa) (8/0)
            I couldn't find enough superlatives to describe "Cinderella Man," an astonishing film that's simp...

                         Reviews of Cinderella Man
By Ella Taylor of L.A. Weekly (8/0)
            No opportunity for sentimental editorializing goes unseized.

By Robert Roten of Laramie Movie Scope (8/0)
            If you don't mind experiencing some feelings, this is an exceptional film.

By Carol Cling of Las Vegas Review-Journal (8/0)
            ... isn't quite the dream come true it might have been. It lands more than a few punches. But non...

By Eric Melin of Lawrence.com (8/0)
            ...pre-digested, pre-approved...has the bullying 'stamp of quality.'

By John Larsen of Light Views (8/0)
            It's a little long, but you never feel like you're being held prisoner by a film which has overst...

By Prairie Miller of Long Island Press (8/0)
            And as far as Cinderella's pumpkins go, though the movie ends with Braddock's boxing triumph in H...

                         Reviews of Cinderella Man
By Jeffrey Overstreet of Looking Closer (8/0)
            Scene by scene, [Mae] reminds us that Jim is handsome, strong, ... and always right. The film cel...

By Andy Klein of Los Angeles CityBeat (8/0)
            ... a by-the-book, retro Hollywood production – which brings with it both virtues and problems.

By Bob Strauss of Los Angeles Daily News (8/0)
            Beautifully portrayed by Russell Crowe and Renee Zellweger in the kinds of well-judged performanc...

By Kenneth Turan of Los Angeles Times (8/0)
            Howard hurts our ability to enjoy this good story by pushing its plot points too insistently.

By Duane Dudek of Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (8/0)
            Crowe has grit and gravitas to spare, and trims his Gladiator and Master and Commander: The Far S...

By Susan Granger of Modamag.com (8/0)
            As of May, 2005, this Depression-era drama is the Best Picture of the year - with flawless acting...

                         Reviews of Cinderella Man
By Kevin N. Laforest of Montreal Film Journal (8/0)
            Only our predisposed investment in the lead players manages to make the proceedings not too painf...

By Ken Hanke of Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) (8/0)
            If it all feels just a little bit like a movie set in the Depression that's cobbled together from...

By Douglas Pratt of Movie City News (8/0)
            Howard may have replicated the family scenes as accurately as if he'd found film from a camera hi...

By Jorge Avila Andrade of Moviola (8/0)
            Es un cuento de hadas necesario para el cinéfilo que tiene que padecer películas pretenciosas o a...

By Kurt Loder of MTV (8/0)
            A movie of great delicacy of feeling... [T]he truth of the story tugs irresistibly at your heart....

By Andrew Sarris of New York Observer (8/0)
            Just an O.K. vintage fight movie.

                         Reviews of Cinderella Man
By Jeffrey Westhoff of Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL) (8/0)
            Not matter how hard the script tries to turn Braddock into a symbol of American perseverance, Cro...

By Ethan Alter of NYC Film Critic (8/0)
            The changes made to Baer's personality simply strike me as unnecessary here, not to mention poor ...

By Frank Swietek of One Guy's Opinion (7/1)
            A grossly manipulative tale of an underdog who comes out on top, but one so skillfully manufactur...

By Scott Tobias of Onion AV Club (8/0)
            A superficially rousing portrait of Depression-era legend James J. Braddock.

By Mark Sells of Oregon Herald (8/0)
            A humbling and stirring account of an upstanding American hero.

By Steve Schneider of Orlando Weekly (8/0)
            Well-acted but textually mediocre.

                         Reviews of Cinderella Man
By Dennis Schwartz of Ozus' World Movie Reviews (8/0)
            Glorious hokum.

By Jeanne Aufmuth of Palo Alto Weekly (8/0)
            Rings of formula but has moxie to spare.

By Sean Burns of Philadelphia Weekly (8/0)
            Sure, it's obvious and corny. But there's something lovable about this dated movie and its adora...

By Jon Popick of Planet Sick-Boy (8/0)
            Entertaining and affecting, but an Oscar movie this is not.

By Cynthia Fuchs of PopMatters (8/0)
            Caught up as the film's righteous center, Jim is sustained by his concern for his bland and under...

By James Kendrick of Q Network Film Desk (8/0)
            a rousing fable about a decent, goodhearted man achieving great heights

                         Reviews of Cinderella Man
By David N. Butterworth of rec.arts.movies.reviews (8/0)
            Comparisons to Eastwood's Oscar®-winning Million Dollar Baby are not only expected but welcomed, ...

By Louis Proyect of rec.arts.movies.reviews (8/0)
            Powerful evocation of Great Depression

By Sarah Chauncey of Reel.com (8/0)
            When was the last time you saw a truly feel-good movie about men beating the crap out of each oth...

By Laura Clifford of Reeling Reviews (8/0)
            Actor Russell Crowe, who looks like he stepped right out of the 1930's, can apparently do anythin...

By Robin Clifford of Reeling Reviews (8/0)
            ...for the more mature audience that would rather a good story than copious F/X, “Cinderella Man”...

By Betty Jo Tucker of ReelTalk Movie Reviews (8/0)
            'Cinderella Man' wrings every bit of emotion out of a tried-and-true underdog storyline. Fortunat...

                         Reviews of Cinderella Man
By Diana Saenger of ReelTalk Movie Reviews (8/0)
            While some of its boxing scenes are brutal, 'Cinderella Man' is more about hope and the positive ...

By Beth Jones of Roanoke Times (Virginia) (8/0)
            Opie makes a statement about the grand divide between the rich and the rest of us.

By Peter Travers of Rolling Stone (8/0)
            Not only is Cinderella Man Howard's best movie, it is also his most personal and deeply felt.

By Peter Travers of Rolling Stone (8/0)
            Not only is Cinderella Man Howard's best movie, it is also his most personal and deeply felt.

By James O'Ehley of SA Movie & DVD Magazine (8/0)
            The film wallows in the poverty and degradation of Crowe and his family, which is a real downer f...

By Stephanie Zacharek of Salon.com (8/0)
            Cinderella Man is a movie about the indomitability of the American spirit, and those are always f...

                         Reviews of Cinderella Man
By Sean Means of Salt Lake Tribune (8/0)
            An exquisitely crafted, stately drama ... that never surprises, never takes risks, never delivers...

By Larry Ratliff of San Antonio Express-News (8/0)
            To say that this is the finest effort ever for the director of Apollo 13 and A Beautiful Mind is ...

By Mick LaSalle of San Francisco Chronicle (8/0)
            ...easily the best American film so far this year.

By Sean McBride of Sean the Movie Guy (8/0)
            audiences looking for uplifting, quality entertainment should love “Cinderella Man.”

By William Arnold of Seattle Post-Intelligencer (8/0)
            ...a splendidly made extravaganza that avoids most of the genre cliches...

By Moira MacDonald of Seattle Times (8/0)
            Pardon its dust, and you'll be rewarded with a moving story of a time gone by, and of an unexpect...

                         Reviews of Cinderella Man
By Rich Cline of Shadows on the Wall (8/0)
            The events are strong enough to keep us gripped, even though the writing and direction are flat a...

By Nick Schager of Slant Magazine (8/0)
            65 years after John Ford's wrenching The Grapes of Wrath, Hollywood seems to have concluded that ...

By Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat of Spirituality and Practice (8/0)
             One of the best films of the year, it speaks to the heart and models a working-class hero whose ...

By Rob Blackwelder of SPLICEDWire (8/0)
            ...won't ever be considered among the great boxing movies. But it does captivatingly encapsulate ...

By Nick Rogers of State Journal-Register (Springfield, IL) (8/0)
            Hot, steaming hokum briefly creeps into the film, which alternates between fairytale and grimy re...

By John Venable of Supercala.com (8/0)
            Russell Crowe is the new Meryl Streep...all he has to do is be in a movie in any given year and h...

                         Reviews of Cinderella Man
By Andrew Wright of The Stranger (Seattle, WA) (8/0)
            So determined to make the audience stand up and cheer that it forgets how to generate anything la...

By Dustin Putman of TheMovieBoy.com (8/0)
            A worn-out Goodwill version of Rocky that either deserved a less-banal filmmaking approach or did...

By Scott Nash of Three Movie Buffs (8/0)
            When it comes to schmaltz, no one does it better than Opie Cunningham.

By Mark Salisbury of Time Out (8/0)
            The fight scenes have a stinging authenticity and, although at 144 minutes it outstays its welcom...

By Tony Medley of tonymedley.com (8/0)
            Forget boxing, this has good moral values, applauding marriage and commitment and personal respon...

By Audrey Rock-Richardson of Tooele Transcript-Bulletin (Utah) (8/0)
            Has the misfortune to feel like a "Seabiscuit Meets Million Dollar Baby" send-up.

                         Reviews of Cinderella Man
By Kam Williams of Town Topics (8/0)
            A cross between Seabiscuit (because of the Depression) and Rocky (because of the sport), yet a fi...

By Ken Fox of TV Guide's Movie Guide (8/0)
            Howard sees Braddock's story in simple, black-and-white terms; Howard loves Braddock because ther...

By Enrique Buchichio of Uruguay Total (8/0)
            No ofrece nada nuevo y, a pesar de su impecable factura técnica, aburre hasta la exasperación con...

By Mike Clark of USA Today (8/0)
            A premier boxing movie and a forceful Depression remembrance for the socially conscious...

By Matthew Turner of ViewLondon (8/0)
            It's Seabiscuit with fists. Enjoyable, well-made, heartwarming Best Picture fodder that overcomes...

By Willie Waffle of WaffleMovies.com (8/0)
            the first Oscar contender of 2005, and one of the few movies where it's OK for a man to cry (it's...

                         Reviews of Cinderella Man
By Desson Thomson of Washington Post (8/0)
            Crowe's burly poignancy hits you foursquare in the ribs -- right above the ticker. This feels old...

By Jeffrey Chen of Window to the Movies (8/0)
            The rhythms are so familiar it threatens to numb the mind. One at once admires the skill behind i...

By Steven Snyder of Zertinet Movies (8/0)
            Captivating in a believable way.

By John Beifuss of Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) (4/5) Login Required (Login Required)
            The specifics of past-due notices and hunger pains are as important to Howard's story as the priz...

By Manohla Dargis of New York Times (3/5) Login Required (Login Required)
            ...a shamefully ingratiating old-fashioned weepie.

By Greg Maki of Star-Democrat (Easton, MD) (3/5) Login Required (Login Required)
            Crowe adds another masterful performance to his incredibly diverse portfolio.

                         Reviews of Cinderella Man
By John Wirt of Advocate (Baton Rouge, LA) (3/5) No reference
            So far, this great drama directed by Ron Howard and starring Russell Crowe is the summer movie se...

By Christopher Smith of Bangor Daily News (Maine) (7/1) No reference
            The new Ron Howard movie, "Cinderella Man," begins precisely where pop culture is currently at it...

By Danny Minton of Beaumont Journal (3/5) No reference
            An exciting film that is rarely seen outside of December.

By Sheri Linden of Boxoffice Magazine (3/5) No reference
            Cinderella Man bids for audience approval at every turn.

By Pablo Villaca of Cinema em Cena (3/5) No reference
            Nada mais é do que um repeteco de Alma de Herói, apenas substituindo o cavalo Seabiscuit por Jame...

By Garth Franklin of Dark Horizons (3/5) No reference
            At moments it almost had me, but for the most part I just felt cold and watched with all the inte...

                         Reviews of Cinderella Man
By Jeff Vice of Deseret News, Salt Lake City (7/1) No reference
            In many ways this unambitious but heartfelt drama comes as a welcome breath of fresh air, especia...

By Chuck O'Leary of Fantastica Daily (3/5) No reference
            Ron Howard's Cinderella Man is the best American film since another movie that revolved around a ...

By Jimmy O of Film Snobs (4/4) No reference
            Cinderella Man captures the essence of the Braddock experience. Crowe confirms himself as the new...

By Brian Juergens of Freeze Dried Movies (7/1) No reference
            As touching, thrilling, and inspiring as they come – and a welcome return to the kinds of films t...

By Kit Bowen of Hollywood.com (3/5) No reference
            Honestly, how can you not root for a movie about a Depression-era underdog prizefighter who beats...

By James Sanford of Kalamazoo Gazette (7/1) No reference
            The story follows an arc similar to another Depression-era tale, 'Seabiscuit,' but 'Cinderella Ma...

                         Reviews of Cinderella Man
By Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star (3/5) No reference
            If there were ever any doubt that Russell Crowe is the greatest screen actor of his generation, C...

By Rene Rodriguez of Miami Herald (3/5) No reference
            This is an utterly predictable, thoroughly manipulative and thunderously obvious movie. I wouldn'...

By Nell Minow of Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies (7/1) No reference
            with the narrative focus dissipated by trying to show us how much it all mattered back then, it m...

By Michael Elliott of Movie Parables (7/1) No reference
            As good as Crowe is as Braddock the fighter, he really delivers the goods as Braddock the man.

By James Rocchi of Netflix (4/4) No reference
            Depression-era boxing story gets a good -- not great -- envisioning from Ron Howard and features ...

By Lou Lumenick of New York Post (3/5) No reference
            ...ultra-predictable...

                         Reviews of Cinderella Man
By Stephen Whitty of Newark Star-Ledger (3/5) No reference
            Like its hero, it stubbornly gets the job done.

By Gene Seymour of Newsday (3/5) No reference
            There probably isn't a filmmaker anywhere, other than the redoubtable Steven Spielberg himself, w...

By Shawn Levy of Oregonian (3/5) No reference
            Easily the best mainstream Hollywood drama so far this year.

By Roger Moore of Orlando Sentinel (4/4) No reference
            With Russell Crowe in literal fighting trim and a splendid supporting cast, this is a boxing pic ...

By Gary Thompson of Philadelphia Daily News (3/5) No reference
            For Crowe, it adds to the winning streak that started with L.A. Confidential and has continued vi...

By Forrest Hartman of Reno Gazette-Journal (7/1) No reference
            The film by which [director Ron Howard] should henceforth be measured.

                         Reviews of Cinderella Man
By Mike Ward of Richmond.com (7/1) No reference
            Paul Giamatti steals the show as Braddock's smart-*** trainer and manager, Joe Gould. Maybe it's ...

By Jack Garner of Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (5/3) No reference
            In lesser hands, Braddock could seem a bit dull or unimaginative. But Crowe revels in subtle char...

By Carla Meyer of Sacramento Bee (7/1) No reference
            Oscar host Chris Rock was on to something when he suggested that only Russell Crowe should be all...

By Bob Grimm of Sacramento News & Review (6/2) No reference
            A serious, warmhearted and rousing diversion.

By Phoebe Flowers of South Florida Sun-Sentinel (3/5) No reference
            Howard has tapped into a glorious true-life story and wisely chosen Crowe, an unparalleled actor,...

By Josh Larsen of Sun Publications (Chicago, IL) (3/5) No reference
            What a relief when an inspirational movie actually works.

                         Reviews of Cinderella Man
By Angela Baldassarre of Sympatico.ca (3/5) No reference
             Crowe delivers powerful punch. "Cinderella Man" first Oscar-contender of the year.

By Daniel M. Kimmel of Worcester Telegram & Gazette (3/5) No reference
            If you can imagine Frank Capra doing his version of Raging Bull, you’ve got a good idea of what C...

By Dan Fienberg of Zap2it.com (7/1) No reference
            Cinderella Man wants to be a rousing crowd-pleaser and it probably is, even if Howard has to keep...

By Lawrence Toppman of Charlotte Observer (7/1) Not Reachable
            The beautiful truth of this story is smeared over with cornball sentiment.

By Harvey S. Karten of Compuserve (6/2) Not Reachable
            Sharp acting within a sepia-toned technical knockout.

By Mary F. Pols of Contra Costa Times (7/1) Not Reachable
            Most directors shy away from the Time That Oscar Voters Forget. Ron Howard must be getting bolder...

                         Reviews of Cinderella Man
By James Berardinelli of ReelViews (3/5) Not Reachable
            ...the specter of Rocky hovers over Cinderella Man like a restless thing.

By Chris Hewitt (St. Paul) of St. Paul Pioneer Press (3/5) Not Reachable
            Having Russell Crowe in a movie makes a huge difference.

By Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone of TheMovieChicks.com (7/1) Not Reachable
            It's a contender movie that you don't have to wait until Christmas to see.

By Urban Cinefile Critics of Urban Cinefile (7/1) Not Reachable
            Intensely moving and superbly crafted....Russell Crowe’s portrayal of boxer James Braddock, is no...

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