SOUTHPAW (8.5 out of 10) Directed by Antoine Fuqua, Written by Kurt Sutter, Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Rachel McAdams, Oona Laurence, Forest Whitaker, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson; Rated R for “language throughout, and some violence.” Running time 123 minutes, In wide release July 24, 2015.
Boxing movies are known for hitting hard, and “Southpaw” is a welcome addition to this genre. Director Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) expertly channels his cast and delivers a cinema experience that makes us feel every punch as it lands. The movie also delivers emotionally as we follow the story both in and out of the ring, making foreign concepts simple, relatable and digestable.
Our story follows Billy Hope (Gyllenhaal– who got yoked for this role!) the junior middleweight champion with a 43-0 record. The film opens with his prep for his most recent fight, and we’re quickly introduced to his wife and constant support (McAdams), his manager (50 Cent) and his entourage. They’re with him as he fights and bleeds and bask in the glory of his wins. We also meet an incredibly precocious daughter whom they shelter from the reality of the boxing ring other than getting to count daddy’s stitches after he comes home victorious.
But everyone wants a piece of the champ. His manager wants him to sign a huge contract with HBO. An up-and-coming boxer from Columbia wants a piece of Billy — until an altercation between the two of them begins a rapid downward spiral, leading Billy to lose literally everything.
But every great story needs a comeback, so Billy enlists a former pro trainer (Whittaker) because he trained the only fighter who ever really got close to beating him. Working in his gym in the rougher part of the city, Billy starts putting his life back together.
The story isn’t really the key here: the marriage between cast, director, and script are. This is brilliantly written by Kurt Sutter, whom you may know from writing other gritty fare like”Sons of Anarchy” or “The Shield.” Fuqua directs this with a kinetic brilliance, helping the audience feel the emotions and gut punches as they occur. Indeed, his choice of camera angles sometimes puts us in the ring as one of the boxers, experiencing the fight as they do. It’s used sparingly so as not to become a gimmick, but incredibly effectively.
The best thing to say about this movie is it’s a boxing movie. That tells you 90% of what you need to know to decide if you think this is worth your time or not. For fans of Rocky, Million Dollar Baby, Raging Bull, Ali, The Fighter, etc, this is a worthy companion.
8.5 out of 10