See it at the Movies

SOUTHPAW

Joyce and Don Fowler
Posted 7/30/15

SOUTHPAW

* * ½

(Boxing movie: good

acting/familiar tale)

Jake Gyllenhaal does a good job portraying Billy Hope, light heavyweight champion with a 43-0 record, a lovely and smart wife …

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See it at the Movies

SOUTHPAW

Posted

SOUTHPAW

* * ½

(Boxing movie: good

acting/familiar tale)

Jake Gyllenhaal does a good job portraying Billy Hope, light heavyweight champion with a 43-0 record, a lovely and smart wife (Rachel McAdams) and a young girl (Oona Lawrence).

We catch up with him retaining his title in a brutal fight. She wants him to quit. They have lots of money, live in a mansion and see a bright future together. She’s rightfully worried about his too many hits to the head, seeing signs of his brain turning to mush.

A terrible tragedy happens when a wannabe contender and his entourage start a fight, ending in gunfire. Billy goes into a real funk after that. There are hints of mismanagement, and the fighter ends up broke. He has outbursts of rage, starts drinking and ends up losing his daughter to Family Services.

Billy hits bottom, loses his mansion and ends up as a cleaning man at a rundown gym run by Forest Whittaker.

You can see what’s coming from a mile away. Whittaker trains Billy, teaches him to control his rage, fight defensively and prepares him for the BIG FIGHT.

Can Billy win? Can he get his daughter back?

Hey, this is a boxing movie like the dozens that have come and gone before it.

Rated R for profanity and ring violence.

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