Earning seven Oscar nominations, including two for Best Supporting Actress, “The Fighter” did an excellent job of injecting honest emotion into a film that was, on the surface, about boxing.

The film revolves around a pair of half-brothers: boxers Micky Ward and Dicky Eklund, telling the story of Ward’s rise to the light-welterweight title.  While the boxing sequences are gritty and true to life, they work best as a vehicle for telling the story of a family struggling to maintain the ties that bind.

Mark Wahlberg delivers a capable and honest portrayal of Ward, quietly hitting all the right notes and allowing his supporting actors to shine around him.

Wahlberg’s performance, while more than adequate, pales in comparison to Christian Bale’s masterful performance as Dick Eklund, Ward’s trainer, a washed-up fighter and crack cocaine addict.

Bale, infamous for immersing himself in his roles, lost weight to play the skeletal Eklund.  Bale played Eklund with rubber-band physicality and a roguish demeanor.  Throughout the film Bale cons both the characters in the film and the audience into liking him, ignoring his self-destructive behavior and all his flaws as a father, brother and son.

Bale’s performance earned him a Best Supporting Actor nod, and he should be the odds-on favorite to win, even against heavy-hitters Geoffrey Rush and Jeremy Renner.

While the male half of the cast shined, they’d be far dimmer, and shallower, without the ladies of the cast.

Melissa Leo and Amy Adams each earned Best Supporting Actress nominations for their roles.

Leo was both stunning and believable as Micky and Dicky’s big-haired, big-mouthed mother and manager.  Leo played the part exquisitely, showcasing both the character’s bulldog approach to motherhood, and her softer, sadder side.

One scene in particular features Eklund, having been discovered smoking crack by Alice Ward, Leo’s character, getting into his mother’s car.  Leo sizzled with anger and the tense chemistry between the two is dazzling.  Dick begins to sing to Alice, and her shell is cracked; she’s just a mother who wants the best for her sons.

Amy Adams departs from her typical innocent roles playing Charlene Fleming, a savvy, street smart bartender and Micky’s girlfriend.  Adams, like the rest of the cast, sinks seamlessly into her role.  She plays the hard-nosed newcomer to the Ward/ Eklund family, and begins to make waves immediately.

With the strength of the female characters, the title “The Fighter” could just as well refer to Alice or Charlene as it could to Micky or Dicky.

Unfortunately for the two actresses,  only one can win the Oscar and Leo probably has the edge.

Does “The Fighter” have a legitimate shot at landing Best Picture?  Probably not, but come Feb. 27, 10 movies will step into the ring, and one will come out a winner.

Yarbrough and Alazraqui brought their act to the Student Center Pit on the Sept. 5 as part of the Rowan After Hours program. The show opened at 10 p.m. with Alazraqui, making fun of topics ranging from hurricanes (which he described as “Mother Nature on her period”) to public restroom etiquette.

Soon he was joined by Yarbrough, whose attempted entrance through the handicapped elevator was followed by an 80s dance routine. Yarbrough and Alazraqui played off one another with dueling impressions of numerous celebrities, from Christian Bale to Bill Cosby.

Alazraqui then left the stage to Yarbrough, whose solo act included bringing a student from the audience onstage and serenading him.

“I bet you’ve never been serenaded by a giant black man before,” Yarbrough said to the student, who could barely speak from laughing.

Finally, after a brief clip show from “Reno 911!,” Yarbrough and Alazraqui returned to the stage together in costume as their characters from the Comedy Central cop parody, Deputy S. Jones and Deputy James Garcia. They staged an in-character Q&A session before bringing another volunteer on stage to play the criminal in a short skit in spirit of the show.

“My favorite part was the skit at the end,” said freshman Erinn Bownes, a journalism major.

The event seemed to be a hit with the students.

“I laughed when [Alazraqui was] f****** the imaginary sheep,” said Joe Busch, a freshman english/education major.

After the comedy act drew to a close, Yarbrough and Alazraqui made themselves available to students for autographs.

The July 8 cancellation of ” Reno 911!” was met with petitions and fundraisers put on by fans, as well as residents and officials of Reno, Nevada.