Written & Directed By: Ben Younger
Story By: Ben Younger, Pippa Bianco & Angelo Pizzo
Cinematography By: Larkin Sieple
Editor: Zachary Stuart-Pontier
Cast: Miles Teller, Aaron Eckhart, Katey Segal, Cirian Hinds, Jordan Gelber, Ted Levine, Amanda Clayton
The inspirational story of World Champion Boxer Vinny Pazienza who, after a near fatal car crash which left him not knowing if he'd ever walk again, made one of sport's most incredible comebacks.
One of the reasons this review is short Is, I am presenting it in the way the movie feels. It feels like it was rushed and gives details that try to make it feel more authentic, but the film seems to rush the story along so that when it would typically need to slow down and have the character and the audience feel the weight of situations and decisions. It is already moving onto the next scene or preparing by itself for where it wants to go next without dealing. With the present enough. Even his relationship with his girlfriend feels more like she is rather faceless or could be just some groupie or anonymous woman.
Which is a shame as the actors all seem to be indebted and trying hard to be believable, but for Miles Teller who is believable it also feels more like dress up.
The film plays very average. As there are no real surprises. As there can’t really be when the film is based on a true story.
Maybe that is why there is no real tension as you feel like you know what is going to happen in each scene. In fact it tries to build it in early fights but he breezes through each one with ease until the finale that it is almost laughable how much pressure the film seems to try to have right before them and in the build up.
There is an early scene of them stalling the weigh in so he can lose some weight last minute that is quite humorous. If the film had kept that sense of humor and inventiveness it could have been more noteworthy, it after that the film becomes pretty one note in the come up. Suffering by and comeback
It’s an uplifting that it feels too familiar. Maybe it is trying to be that kind of film for a new generation of audiences, but it comes off as flat or half hearted half of the time. The film never comes alive not possesses the personality that the characters seem to have. It plays too close to the vest to gamble and venture out on it’s own.
The focus of the film seems to be on it’s more blue collar roots. That is what a lot of scenes seem to empathize. It seems like the film wants to have some of the throwback and big family feel of the movie THE FIGHTER. Though again it comes up short.
As even his relationships aren’t really explored except between him and his trimmer. He has a girlfriend but she is barely wallpaper in the background that is how little we see of her. His mother seems to pray while he has each fight but we never see him have a heart to heart with her. Even when he decides to return to the ring, The film has an eclectic cast.
This is one of those films that probably was deeper originally but might have been cut to death to speed up the trajectory of the film. It’s a shame as this feels like it could have been a great comeback story film. Instead it feels like a slight THE FIGHTER knock off. that seeks to seem more authentic but makes it feel all the way more artificial or struggling. This Seems to be a movie more built around an actor and performance and while miles teller does well in the role. It’s not revelatory or enough to push the film higher. His performance matches the film. Satisfactory. It's a perfectly good time waster
Grade: C+
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