Southpaw

The classic redemption story of a boxer at the pinnacle of the sport (and seemingly untouchable) before suffering a horrific tragedy is one that has been told many a time before on the silver screen, and that is what we get from Jake Gyllenhaal as Billy Hope in his latest outing.

All of the building blocks and blueprints are there for this type of film, so often it comes down to the performances. Thankfully Gyllenhaal, Oona Laurence (as Billy’s daughter Leila) and Forrest Whitaker (as Billy’s mentor, coach and saviour Tick Willis) are outstanding. Laurence in particular is great, performing some of the most touching moments of the film.

There are three main points that seem to have lacked the level of thought and detail put into the rest of the film writing. The film is sluggish at times, which would be excusable if it were based on a true story, but as a work of fiction tends to drag. Also the title is only paid off in the final fleeting moments, which seems like a real loss. And finally, the name Billy Hope is far too cliche and seemingly only used for the line “boxing has Hope again.”

Star Rating: ***