Review
Southpaw (Sports, Drama) (2015)
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Writer: Kurt Sutter
Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Oona Laurence, Rachel McAdams, Forest Whitaker
An unbeaten boxer, leading an affluent life, hits rock bottom as unforeseen circumstances cause an emotional breakdown. It's a tough road back to prominence and, most importantly, his daughter's respect.
Known to deliver action-filled, impactful features such as "The Equalizer" and "Olympus Has Fallen", Fuqua returns with an intense and gritty depiction of boxing competition. Initially intended to star famous rapper Eminem in the leading role as a spiritual successor to "8 Mile"; Gyllenhaal replaced the musician as Fuqua was set to direct, as Eminem chose to focus on his upcoming album. It has been produced by Wanda Pictures, Riche Productions, Escape Artists and Fuqua Films while being distributed by The Weinstein Company.
Reigning as a light-heavyweight boxing champion, Billy Hope (Jake Gyllenhaal) is caught in a constant vortex of violence, eager to take the brunt of blows taking a severe toll on his health, family and mentality. Once another contender makes their presence known, harassing Hope in an attempt to agitate him enough to take the fight—an unfortunate accident results in the wealthy pugilist's life crumbling apart. Unrestrained grief leads to one poor decision after another, concluding with his daughter being taken away. His road to redemption commences, proving to himself, the state, his fans and most importantly, his daughter that giving up is not an option.
Tough and confrontative, "Southpaw" fits neatly within Fuqua's directorial ventures. Instead of the typical focus on a young athlete working towards greatness usually featured in sports dramas, we see an already-made champion; its strength lies in the thought-provoking raw emotion of an established star having to rebuild when personal strife has beaten him down.
As the ring bell sounds, an immense showcase of pugilistic drama unfolds. This tale of woe shines a dim light on the sheer reality of those disenfranchised, forced into prizefighting as their only prospect to climb the social ladder. An early worry pressed by McAdams' Maureen Hope makes the viewer aware of the abuse taken, now both physically and mentally desensitized, unflinching in the face of danger. Tenderness beneath a façade of triumph, as hardship, is laid threadbare, laden with sharp turns and curves; this is anything but a straight road for Billy Hope as he patches himself back together to care for what matters most.
From the heights of the boxing industry to the depths where his story began. Having given blood and sweat in a tremendous championship reign, the business-minded readily discard Gyllenhaal's Billy Hope once his palms twist upward instead of down. Thriving on shock value as much as it does on the psychology of the sport, we're carried through the stages of recovery, benefitting in bringing in familiar faces along the journey with Gyllenhaal in a most compelling role, telling much of the story with his eyes.
Seldomly comes along a sports feature like "Southpaw", which is perhaps more important as a drama rather than pigeon-holing itself with the athletics alone. Even still, the boxing fiction present provides enough tension and comes across as cinematic as it is sports-accurate.
Verdict
An unorthodox film.
9,0
