Southpaw

I always enjoyed watching boxing fights, especially with my grandfather Ingvar. We used to watch recorder matches on VHS, when Tv1000 showed the biggest fights, with Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis, and many other great boxing champions. As most of my generation, growing up in the 80´s, i enjoyed watching Rocky Balboa, simply because this was a story, about an ordinary man who managed to become world champion in boxing. Sylvester Stallone have created an icon character, because many people could relate to growing up in a poor neighbourhood, and that anyone have a chance to make it, if you want to. I think we need to mention Raging Bull, the fantastic boxing drama film by director Martin Scorsese, and Robert De Niro is absolutely brilliant in the lead role. This is one of those film that never gets old, simply because it is so well made and so powerful. I know that some people are against heavyweight professional boxing, because the fighters get very serious damages. I belive they don´t get more damage than any MMA fighter, or just look at Muay Thai boxing ? These are very different sports of course, where MMA is probably the most brutal sport. So to those who say that boxing is so dangerous, just look at different fighting sports, and you might see that there is a big difference. Many actors have tried to do boxing films, with mostly bad results. Escept for The Fighter of course, with Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale. If you have not seen it, i recommend that you do go rent it. Cinderella Man with Russel Crowe is also a good boxing drama, based on the true story of James J. Braddock. Did anyone of you see Nightcrawler last year ? If you didn´t, you need to go out and buy it right now. This is a film where actor Jake Gyllenhaal really proved why he is one of the best actors of his generation. He have a way to make characters come to life, in his own unique way. Nightcrawler was not a huge box office success, but the film proved why Gyllenhaal should get more respect, this man is amazing as an actor when he gets the right script. When internet started rumours about his new film Southpaw, where he is a boxer, i became curious to see what this would be. Since good boxing films are hard to make, i was hoping that this would be a great character that Gyllenhaal would prove to the world, why he is an amazing actor. Is Southpaw a new boxing drama classic in the style of Raging Bull, or is this a film Gyllenhaal never should have made from the start ?

Billy Hope ( Jake Gyllenhaal ) is the light heavyweight champion in boxing, and keep the title after another important title match. After the fight, they notice that Billy have an eye injury, and this could cause problems in the future. Billy´s wife Maureen Hope ( Rachel MacAdams ) tell her husband he should quit, now when he is still the champion. At a charity event at the orphanage where Billy and his wife Maureen grew up, Billy is invited to hold a speech. On the way out, Billy and his wife is confronted by an up-and-coming boxer, Miguel " Magic " Escobar. He wants a fight against Billy and call him a coward, while making Billy´s wife feel uncomfortable. Billy can´t take this shit talk and attack Miguel, as they begin to fight each other infront of all the guests at the charity event. It all ends when Maureen is accidently shot, and is badly injured. Rushed into hospital, she is pronounced dead. Billy´s life goes straight to hell after this, using alcohol and drugs, loosing all his fortune and even custody of his own daughter Leila Hope ( Ooana Laurence ). Child Protective Services officer Angela Rivera ( Naomie Harris ) is the one who makes sure Leila is taken care off, and arrange meetings between Billy and his daughter Leila. But the relationship is damaged and Leila does not want to see her father. Now, Billy must get his life together, and start from the beginning, to rebuild his boxing career, with the help of boxing trainer Titus " Tick " Willis ( Forest Whitaker ". Most of all he must get his own daughter back.

It would be easy to think that this is almost like another version of Rocky Balboa, but Southpaw is not in any way related to that character. This is a completely different story about a boxer, who tries to struggle his way to keep his title. There are similarities to Rocky, but you really don´t get to see where this boxer Billy Hope came from. I would have liked to see flashbacks from where he started, and how he became the boxer he is today. But one thing is for sure, Jake Gyllenhaal is the perfect choice for this leading role. His brutal verbal language, and his brutal body language, makes this character who he is. Once Jake begin his fights, you see a fire in his eyes, and that is something not every actor can bring to the big screen. Especially in a boxing film, you really need to look like a boxer, and act like a boxer, to make us feel like this character really exist. So bless you Gyllenhaal for making such a powerful performance. Let´s talk about the other actors, and i will start with Curtis " 50 Cent " Jackson. He might be a nice guy in real life, but he is not a very good actor. Rachel MacAdams as Billy´s wife Maureen is ok, but could have given us a stronger performance. Forest Withaker is here, so you know that he can handle most characters, and he does alright as an boxing trainer. One thing that i do like about the story in Southpaw, is that no matter how much fortune and fame you once had, happiness is more important than anything. If you don´t find a balance, what is more important than a fancy house and fancy cars, you will eventually go down, unless you keep everything steady. Southpaw becomes more interesting where we get to see Billy loose all the fame and money, and have to work himself back to real life. Director Antoine Fuqua have directed many action films in the past, especially the really good film Training Day. I did enjoy his film Brooklyn´s Finest also, with a great cast and a good action film as well. Southpaw might be his most dramatic film so far, and it works pretty good, especially thanks to Jake Gyllenhaals performance. If you love the Rocky films, or maybe love Raging Bull, you will probably enjoy this boxing drama also. Southpaw is not one of the best films in this genre, but still an interesting view in how hard life can be. Gyllenhaal keep on delivering great characters, if he continues like this, i will be in heaven forever.

Rating: DDD