SOUTHPAW REVIEW - Jake Gyllenhaal gives a life to the old boxing genre

3/5

Is the sub genre of Boxing movie back? Creed is picking up nominations and awards left right and center. Did Southpaw give everyone faith again?

Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Billy Hope. He's on top of the world, riding high but it is taking it's toll on himself and more importantly his family. His fighting style opitomises him, orphaned and built up "in the system" he's a born fighter. In boxing/sporting movie fashion, all this is taken away from him and he must come to terms with this and make his comeback.

This may all sound very formulaic and perhaps it is but screenplay writer Kurt Sutter (with his first feature but a strong pedigree writing for The Shield and Sons of Anarchy) does something clever here. In screenwriting circles you will hear a lot of "give me the same only different", basically a fresh spin on a tried and tested genre. And this is what Kurt did, he didn't focus on a revenge story. This is a story about coming to terms with loss.

Strip back the boxing context and what do you have? *spoiler ahead* A man grieving the loss of his wife and learning how to cope as a single parent. Gyllenhaal anchors the film. His gruff take on Billy Hope, a man at odds with himself, with his own anger, feels natural. He seems like a person with flaws, on the edge constantly. With such films as Nightcrawler, Prisoners and Enemy, he is starting to show himself as superb actor. All those roles and this one are worlds apart, there is no danger of type casting.

Other key things happen that you'd expect: reluctant trainer, training montage, ect, but they all fit and are done well. I couldn't help but get behind Billy.

The direction is solid and the fights well choreographed. The only downfalls are some 2D minor characters. Outside of Billy and (Forest Whitaker on autopilot) Tick Willis we don't really get to know anyone else. The "villain" of the piece could be Curtis Jackson's Jordan Mains, who betrays Billy for no apparent reason, disappearing until he crops up on the opponents side. Naomie Harris is under used as a care worker assigned to the case of Billy's daughter. It almost seems as if a romantic subplot was edited out because she miraculously ends up watching the fight and cheering Billy on. Besides never saying more than 10 words to each other. There are a few other minor characters who just serve the plot and not much more. But with such a strong central character does it matter?

All in all a exciting watch. Restarting the boxing genre and carrying on Jake Gyllenhaal's hot streak.