Southpaw
2015
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Forest Whitaker, Rachel McAdams, Naomie Harris, Curtis 50 Cent Jackson, Rita Ora
Genre: Sports Drama
Worldwide Box Office Gross: over $91 million
Plot: A champion boxer fights to get his daughter back from child protective services, as well as revive his professional career after a fatal accident sends him on a rampant path of destruction
(*this review may be a day late, but hey, better late than never - Waiching)
'Nearly Packs An Almighty Punch'
Southpaw was originally going to star rapper, Eminem, but after Cowboys and Indians bombed, it got shelved by Dreamworks - only to be picked up by Antoine Fuqua, who wanted to make a boxing movie. It's no different to many of the other boxing movies that came before it & although it tries to go down a darker, grittier route - and then become melodramatic, the film hinges entirely on Jake Gyllenhal and the manner of his performance and physical presence (and highlighted during 4 months in training & gaining 15 lbs of muscle to transform himself into a lean, mean boxing machine), but it is drowned out by Jake's characters' dialogue, which at times is inaudible and the rest of the story feels underwhelming with its potential and Billy's eventual redemption not being exploited to its fullest. It is an exploration of masculinity, brutality and a riches- to- rags- to riches again story, but outside of that, its melodramatic approach is so lukewarm it almost kills whatever momentum the film had going for it at the beginning.
It also features an appearance by pop star, Rita Ora, before she became really famous, as a dishevelled junkie mother. Forrest Whitaker, one of the best actors of his generation, makes do with the underdeveloped script, rapper 50 Cent, who can show he can act, is sadly underused, whilst the female roles, as much as Oona Lawrence, Rachel McAdams and yet another underutilized Naomie Harris do their best, could have used more weight. As such, if they, but more so the latter two, weren't treated as throwaway characters, Southpaw would have been a showcase for female representation & femininity, as much as male representation and male masculinity.
Billy is at the height of his career, but his wife, Maureen is gravely concerned about his health and wants him to slow down and for him to spend more time with his family. After a tragic death, Billy becomes a widower to his daughter, Leila and thus, he is left to raise her. Possessed by grief and anger, he loses control, loses everything and things get worse for Billy. That is until he turns to a new trainer to help him bounce back by teaching him the skills and tricks of the trade & reclaim not only the championship against his adversary, as payback, but also the happiness that he once had.
Sons of Anarchy screenwriter, Kurt Sutter underplays everything and with that, I sensed that therein lurks a much daring, explosive and riskier film, one that deserves to be told onscreen- and minus the boring filler that takes up the majority of act two -, and one that goes all out and in providing a highly entertaining, far more powerful-driven revenge act piece. But as the story went on, just when I was about to give up, the better and more engaging the film became as it finally turns the corner, and the third and final act redeems the film, after an okay first act and middling and somewhat barren second act.
The boxing scenes look brilliant and are well-shot by HBO fight-night veterans, who manage to convey and capture that in-ring experience authentically by giving extra weight & propping up the film than to some of the so-called obligatory scenes when people are not punching each other.
Gyllenhaal could be easily mistaken as Amy's (Oona Lawrence) older brother and he immerses himself into the role of Billy Hope. Even if two-thirds of the movie, I couldn't make out what he was saying. & along with it his journey from success and failure, and his retribution in the end.
Final Verdict:
Southpaw leans more towards Rocky territory than so Raging Bull, due to its melodramatic stance and human interest aspect. And yet the movie doesn't quite match the intensity and visceral of Gyllenhaal's committed performance that it so copiously deserves. Its run-of-the-mill formula wouldn't be oh so as predictable, had Kurt Sutter been more inventive and audacious when it comes to the writing.
Regardless, this is still worth a watch for the fights and Gyllenhaal alone.
Overall:
2015
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Forest Whitaker, Rachel McAdams, Naomie Harris, Curtis 50 Cent Jackson, Rita Ora
Genre: Sports Drama
Worldwide Box Office Gross: over $91 million
Plot: A champion boxer fights to get his daughter back from child protective services, as well as revive his professional career after a fatal accident sends him on a rampant path of destruction
(*this review may be a day late, but hey, better late than never - Waiching)
'Nearly Packs An Almighty Punch'
Southpaw was originally going to star rapper, Eminem, but after Cowboys and Indians bombed, it got shelved by Dreamworks - only to be picked up by Antoine Fuqua, who wanted to make a boxing movie. It's no different to many of the other boxing movies that came before it & although it tries to go down a darker, grittier route - and then become melodramatic, the film hinges entirely on Jake Gyllenhal and the manner of his performance and physical presence (and highlighted during 4 months in training & gaining 15 lbs of muscle to transform himself into a lean, mean boxing machine), but it is drowned out by Jake's characters' dialogue, which at times is inaudible and the rest of the story feels underwhelming with its potential and Billy's eventual redemption not being exploited to its fullest. It is an exploration of masculinity, brutality and a riches- to- rags- to riches again story, but outside of that, its melodramatic approach is so lukewarm it almost kills whatever momentum the film had going for it at the beginning.
Billy is at the height of his career, but his wife, Maureen is gravely concerned about his health and wants him to slow down and for him to spend more time with his family. After a tragic death, Billy becomes a widower to his daughter, Leila and thus, he is left to raise her. Possessed by grief and anger, he loses control, loses everything and things get worse for Billy. That is until he turns to a new trainer to help him bounce back by teaching him the skills and tricks of the trade & reclaim not only the championship against his adversary, as payback, but also the happiness that he once had.
Sons of Anarchy screenwriter, Kurt Sutter underplays everything and with that, I sensed that therein lurks a much daring, explosive and riskier film, one that deserves to be told onscreen- and minus the boring filler that takes up the majority of act two -, and one that goes all out and in providing a highly entertaining, far more powerful-driven revenge act piece. But as the story went on, just when I was about to give up, the better and more engaging the film became as it finally turns the corner, and the third and final act redeems the film, after an okay first act and middling and somewhat barren second act.
The boxing scenes look brilliant and are well-shot by HBO fight-night veterans, who manage to convey and capture that in-ring experience authentically by giving extra weight & propping up the film than to some of the so-called obligatory scenes when people are not punching each other.
Gyllenhaal could be easily mistaken as Amy's (Oona Lawrence) older brother and he immerses himself into the role of Billy Hope. Even if two-thirds of the movie, I couldn't make out what he was saying. & along with it his journey from success and failure, and his retribution in the end.
Final Verdict:
Southpaw leans more towards Rocky territory than so Raging Bull, due to its melodramatic stance and human interest aspect. And yet the movie doesn't quite match the intensity and visceral of Gyllenhaal's committed performance that it so copiously deserves. Its run-of-the-mill formula wouldn't be oh so as predictable, had Kurt Sutter been more inventive and audacious when it comes to the writing.
Regardless, this is still worth a watch for the fights and Gyllenhaal alone.
Overall:
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