Southpaw

There have been countless boxing movies over the years; well done (Raging Bull, Rocky, Million Dollar Baby, The Boxer), well-intended (Ali, The Hurricane, The Fighter), and awful (Diggstown, Gladiator, Cinderella Man). Southpaw falls somewhere in the middle. Not for lack of trying, the lead performance was spectacular, but the story was surprisingly (to me) contrived and formulaic.

Jake Gyllenhaal is Billy Hope, the light heavyweight champ who is on top of the world. He's not the prettiest fighter, as his anger and rage through being pummeled gives him the strength to deliver the knockout blow. Consequently, after forty-something fights, his wife and childhood sweetheart, Maureen (Rachel McAdams) is more than a little worried about his deteriorating ability to take a punch and still speak coherently. After a tragedy that is well publicized in the trailer (more on that later), he spirals into even more self-destructive behavior, jeopardizing custody of his daughter. He hits rock bottom, but with the help of an old, wise trainer, he gets his act together and gets one last shot at redemption. Sound familiar? It should, because it's the basic premise of most boxing movies out there.

That's the rub with this type of film, there are only two paths you can go; win or lose. Either build from nothing to a win at the end, or start on top, fall to the bottom, and claw your way back up. The exceptions are the biopics (not entirely exempt from the formula however), but otherwise, there isn't much you can do with boxing to spice it up. Raging Bull is still the gold standard, and most of the credit goes to the great Robert De Niro for that. Because of the decline in popularity and credibility in the sport, it is hard to imagine that we will see many more films dedicated to this genre. Mixed Martial Arts has surpassed Boxing in popularity among fans and presumably athletes, and there is something nostalgic and romantic about the idea of a dingy gym with the dusty leather gloves, the old speedbags, and the legendary promotional posters on the walls. The owner pushing his own mop and sleeping in the back room. It's romantic, but it's also a dying sport.

Antoine Fuqua has broadened his horizons yet again, tackling a sports film. His bread and butter has been cops, military, and the occasional remake/reboot (The Equalizer, 2017's Magnificent Seven). A quick sidebar, The Magnificent Seven should be just that with Chris Pratt, Denzel Washington, Ethan Hawke, Vincent D'Onofrio, Matt Bomer, Peter Sarsgaard, and Cam Giganet as the namesake band of cowboys. Just saying. Anyhow, Fuqua has seemed to gain the trust of the Hollywood brass, and he keeps churning out profitable fare. For what it's worth, Training Day was outstanding, and everything since has been action fluff. Unfortunately, Southpaw's action scenes fall into the unremarkable category.

Kurt Sutter makes the jump from the small screen, where he was spectacular (The Shield, Sons of Anarchy) for creating gritty characters, violent and graphic action sequences, and compelling drama, to the large screen where he tries to duplicate an abbreviated and toned-down version, through unimaginative writing. If not for the cast, this would have been an epic disaster.

Jake Gyllenhaal is the lone bright spot in the film, even with the incredible Forrest Whitaker in an understated yet cliche role as the too-cool-for-school trainer who humbles the champ. Gyllenhaal is coming off a handful of overlooked performances (Prisoners, Enemy, Nightcrawler), he again shows why he is one of the greatest thirty-something actors in Hollywood. He has two films on the horizon that should be worth watching; Everest, and Demolition. At first glance, it may appear he's just playing a dumb boxer, but when you really look into his performance, the physical transformation aside, you can see the acting. This isn't in a transparent, noticeable way, but if you take what you know of Gyllenhaal, you can see just how into character he has becomes because of the stark differences. I wouldn't go so far as to say Oscar nomination, and a July release almost assures that he will be forgotten, but this is one of the better performances of the year thus far.

There was an article in Entertainment Weekly recently that explained the recent trend of spoiling plot twists in the previews, and how it is what audiences want, much to the chagrin of the directors, writers, and actors. The big plot twist in Southpaw is given away in the previews (and most reviews), and although it is a crucial character change device, I found myself wanting to be surprised as I was watching the film. Spoiler alert. There were absolutely no surprises to this film.

My biggest complaint was first voiced by Oscar De La Hoya. The Boxer archetype is too rigidly portrayed. He's a dumb orphan raised on the tough streets of New York. He made something out of nothing, worked his way to the top only to lose it all through poor decisions, being taken advantage of by his hangers-on, and engaging in self-destructive behavior. It may ring true in some cases, but it (hopefully) is the exception to the rule. Playing the stereotype is supposed to make the viewer feel connected to the character through an understanding of his circumstances, but in this case, it's just a bit trite.

If you're a fan of Gyllenhaal, this is a new look for him, and you might enjoy it. The movie doesn't drag on, which is commendable, and the fight scenes seem reasonably realistic and well done. Other than that, there isn't much redeemable about Southpaw. 5/10.