A volatile boxer's life unravels after the sudden death of his wife, as
his daughter is taken by CPS and he loses the title to his bitter rival. DRAMA/SPORT
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Southpaw (2015)Directed by Antoine Fuqua
Written by Kurt Sutter Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Forest Whitaker, Rachel McAdams, Naomie Harris, Oona Laurence, 50 Cent, Miguel Gomez, Skylan Brooks, Beau Knapp |
I figured Southpaw was going to be another sappy rip-off of Rocky with a modern shakeup. Turns out I was wrong (It was Rocky III) and this film actually turned out to be a heartfelt drama that features a powerful performance by Jake Gyllenhaal. Southpaw is all about loss, in more ways than one, with Gyllenhaal's character Billy Hope's entire life crashing down in one fell swoop after his wife is shot in a tragic accident. From there, he loses the title and all his money and finally his daughter is taken by Child Protective Services. It's hard not to sympathize.
Billy's journey back to the top is inspiring and without Gyllenhaal in the role, I doubt it would have been as believable. He's always been one of Hollywood's few consistently good actors and I think his role in Southpaw is one of his strongest in a long time. His trainer, Tick Wills, is played by veteran character actor Forest Whitaker, who manages to make Tick his own, despite him being a boxing movie cliche. Speaking of cliches, this film is loaded to the brim with them. It's predictable as hell because of them, but that doesn't ruin the film. I highly enjoyed this film because it utilizes the cliches instead of falling victim to them. I believe they strengthen the film. Southpaw is another underdog boxing film to add to the pile. It doesn't bring anything new to the genre and comes off as a little too sentimental at times, but thanks to a powerhouse performance by Jake Gyllenhaal, the film flourishes in spite of its lack of originality. As I said, the film almost completely rips off Rocky III, but what's bad about that? Rocky III was awesome. |
Southpaw is another in a long list of sports film where the main character must overcome personal tragedy by winning the landmark fight of his career. While it's not terribly original and loaded with the usual cliches, the performances from cast keep it together. Both Jake Gyllenhaal and Forest Whitaker give powerhouse performances, turning what could have been a forgettable film into a highly entertaining one.
Jake Gyllenhaal continues his recent upward swing in roles and delivers another knockout performance as undefeated champ, Billy Hope. Physically speaking, he looks like a boxer, with a bulked out body and injuries that speak of past fights. These include his, sometimes, slurred speech and inability to grasp certain things mentally. All of these speak of a man who may have been in the ring too long. Gyllenhaal continues to impress as the movie progresses and his character starts to lose everything. He makes you really feel for this man as he does everything he can to get his life together. Not far behind him is Forest Whitaker as Tick Wills. He also delivers an exceptional performance as a forcibly retired boxer who is generally trying to help. While Whitaker has always been a reliable presence, this is possibly his strongest role to date. I also have to give credit to Oona Laurence, who plays Hope's daughter. For a child actor, she does a fantastic job and shares great chemistry with Gyllenhaal. Beyond the performances, the film also features a couple of well done boxing scenes. They are appropriately shot as brutal and hard hitting. While Southpaw may play it safe, it's still a hugely entertaining movie. Thanks to a committed performance by the film's leads and a story that is easy to invest in, it never fails to keep your interest. For a long time fans of these sorts of movies, you really can't g wrong with this one. I know I enjoyed it. |