Southpaw *** (2015, Jake Gyllenhaal, Rachel McAdams, Forest Whitaker, Oona Laurence, 10 Cent, Naomie Harris, Miguel Gomez, Beau Knapp) – Movie Review

Jake Gyllenhaal lost 30lb to play his role in last year’s outstanding Nightcrawler, and now he’s added 45lb of muscle to play boxer Billy Hope in director Antoine Fuqua’s boxing movie.

Jake spent six hours a day in the gym for six months and developed a taste for pints of organic ice cream as part of his diet. Well, diet is not quite the right word, don’t try this at home!

Gyllenhaal takes over the role from Eminem, who thankfully dropped out but leaves his strong-flavoured music on the soundtrack. That’s a good thing (Eminem dropping out) because Gyllenhaal’s a very smart and canny (and appealing) little actor, and this cliché-ridden story sorely needs a top actor to make it work. So it’s got it.

Actually, it’s got two. Forest Whitaker, who arrives in the movie around half way as coach, trainer and small-time gym boss Tick Wills, really brings smouldering power to the movie, and his classy scenes with Gyllenhaal are by far the best in the film.

Director Fuqua and screen-writer Kurt Sutter speak of their intention to bring a fresh look at an old genre that has already said everything in Rocky and Raging Bull. But alas they don’t. Nevertheless, the movie is entertaining and enjoyable for all that, with all the clichés well and truly mined and honed.

For those who like seeing blokes beating each other up unmercifully, the fight scenes are gruellingly and convincingly well done, with the long climactic battle remarkable for its realism.

Though there are some surprises along the way, especially if you don’t read storylines or view trailers, it all ends exactly the way you expected 90 minutes earlier. And that’s kind of a shame.

Rachel McAdams has a rather thankless task as Billy’s wife, 10 Cent has fun as Billy’s duplicitous manager Jordan Mains, Oona Laurence brings on the old-style child acting as Billy’s troubled little daughter, Naomie Harris is the child protection services worker, Miguel Gomez is Billy’s nemesis Escobar, Beau Knapp is Billy’s helper Jon Jon and Skylan Brooks is Billy’s protégé Hoppy. It’s a good cast on good form and Fuqua is good with actors and turns in a smart, slick film as always.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Movie Review

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