SOUTHPAW May Not Offer Anything New, But Gyllenhaal Is Something To Watch.

SOUTHPAW

Director: Antoine Fuqua
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rachel McAdams, Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, Oona Laurence, and Forest Whitaker.
Rated R for language throughout, and some violence.

Jake Gyllenhaal has taken his career very seriously in recent years with outstanding work in Prisoners, Enemy, and last year's Nightcrawler. Here, he transforms himself once again as a physical beast ready to take down any opponent in the ring. Does he deliver? In short, yes, he sure does.


Southpaw tells the story of Billy Hope (Gyllenhaal), a ferocious boxer in the prime of his career. When tragedy strikes, Billy stands to lose everything that he has worked so hard to get. Now, he must turn to trainer Tick Wills (Whitaker) to help him overcome the odds, control his rage, and get his life back in order, so he can reclaim what he has lost. 

Chances are if you've seen one boxing film, or any of the Rocky movies, then you've seen them all. I knew that going in. Admittedly, I have never been a big boxing fan, but there is something about boxing movies within the sport genre that just intrigues me. I suppose I get wrapped up in the brutal fights (often way more dramatized and intense than reality), the comeback story, the training, and the drive that motivates these characters. Rocky, The Fighter, Raging Bull, and the criminally underrated Cinderella Man come racing to mind. So does Southpaw have anything new to offer? Not really, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. It may not hold weight against some of those that came before it, but there's plenty to admire here.

What's the old adage? If it isn't broke don't fix it? Such is the case with the cliched story in Southpaw. The trailer notoriously spoiled the film's major plot points, but even if it hadn't, most of these tropes have been seen many, many times before. Nevertheless, this formula is tried and true when done right. And let's not kid ourselves, this is Gyllenhaal's show. He may not get an Oscar nomination out of this, but that doesn't mean he won't swing for the fences. He's proven that he can tackle any role, and he's in fine form here. 

Forest Whitaker also turns in a great supporting role, but the real surprise of the movie is young Oona Laurence as Gyllenhaal's daughter. You feel for her pain and anguish in every scene she's in. The movie is far from perfect with some missed opportunities for additional scenes that would've added to the drama. But the fight scenes are intense and strategic, and for a movie all about Gyllenhaal's talents it more than succeeds. 

RATING: B+