In the last several years, Hollywood has screwed up in marketing films in such a way that cause their target audience to get angry, and the resulting negative buzz kills the film. The people who watched this movie expected an action filled smash up with a clearly defined plot and evil villains and shining heroes. Nothing wrong with that, but a movie like this one is bound to disappoint those folks, and the people who would like it will never see it, because they automatically pigeonhole it into the entire fight movie genre.
Fighting reminds me of a typical good film from the early '70s, where our attentions are drawn to the nuances of character, motivation, and the setting in which these people live. Plot is important, but secondary to our exploration of a world where desperate people take desperate steps to survive.
Our protagonist here is kid who is selling counterfeit junk in New York, when he is discovered by street hustler after he beats up some of the hustler's minions. Offered a chance to fight in a winner takes all contest, the kid wins, and starts to gain a name and engage in fights with bigger and bigger purses. Over time, he develops a relationship with the hustler, a love interest with a girl who isn't what she appears to be, and reacquaints himself with a rival from his past.
The fight sequences are raw, brutal, and quick--the atmosphere and settings of the fights are examined as much as the fight itself. We get a look into the street culture that supports these contests, as well as the shady characters behind all of the arrangements and wagering that goes on. The hustler, who becomes the kid's de facto manager has a past as well, and while down on his luck, sees the kid as a chance to regain the respect and position within the underground community they inhabit.
Even though the relationship has the absolute opportunity to be exploitative--particularly when the hustler asks the kid to take a dive, the mutual respect and genuine fondness that develops between the two is great to see.
I am happy with the acting--Terence Howard, who plays the hustler always comes through, and the kid, played by Channing Tatum, comes across as a young DeNiro, understated, but with a sort of longing that comes through particularly when he is pursuing his love interest played by Zulay Henao. It reminded me a little of DeNiro's pursuit of Cybill Shepard in Taxi Driver, before she figured out how screwed up he was--some small charm and a lot of persistence. The relationship between the kid and the hustler echoed that of Ratso Rizzo and Joe Buck in Midnight Cowboy. Like Ratso, Howard's character saw a degree of redemption.
As for the remaining cast, the supporters came across as real humans, not street caricatures that we are so used to seeing. The heavies who were played by the ever reliable Luis Guzman and Roger Guenveur Smith, were menacing enough, but never let their performances go overboard.
I have a feeling that this is one of those movies that has slipped under a lot people's radar, but as word of mouth gets out about it amongst people who like this sort of movie, the rating, now abysmally low will creep up where it should be.
Fighting reminds me of a typical good film from the early '70s, where our attentions are drawn to the nuances of character, motivation, and the setting in which these people live. Plot is important, but secondary to our exploration of a world where desperate people take desperate steps to survive.
Our protagonist here is kid who is selling counterfeit junk in New York, when he is discovered by street hustler after he beats up some of the hustler's minions. Offered a chance to fight in a winner takes all contest, the kid wins, and starts to gain a name and engage in fights with bigger and bigger purses. Over time, he develops a relationship with the hustler, a love interest with a girl who isn't what she appears to be, and reacquaints himself with a rival from his past.
The fight sequences are raw, brutal, and quick--the atmosphere and settings of the fights are examined as much as the fight itself. We get a look into the street culture that supports these contests, as well as the shady characters behind all of the arrangements and wagering that goes on. The hustler, who becomes the kid's de facto manager has a past as well, and while down on his luck, sees the kid as a chance to regain the respect and position within the underground community they inhabit.
Even though the relationship has the absolute opportunity to be exploitative--particularly when the hustler asks the kid to take a dive, the mutual respect and genuine fondness that develops between the two is great to see.
I am happy with the acting--Terence Howard, who plays the hustler always comes through, and the kid, played by Channing Tatum, comes across as a young DeNiro, understated, but with a sort of longing that comes through particularly when he is pursuing his love interest played by Zulay Henao. It reminded me a little of DeNiro's pursuit of Cybill Shepard in Taxi Driver, before she figured out how screwed up he was--some small charm and a lot of persistence. The relationship between the kid and the hustler echoed that of Ratso Rizzo and Joe Buck in Midnight Cowboy. Like Ratso, Howard's character saw a degree of redemption.
As for the remaining cast, the supporters came across as real humans, not street caricatures that we are so used to seeing. The heavies who were played by the ever reliable Luis Guzman and Roger Guenveur Smith, were menacing enough, but never let their performances go overboard.
I have a feeling that this is one of those movies that has slipped under a lot people's radar, but as word of mouth gets out about it amongst people who like this sort of movie, the rating, now abysmally low will creep up where it should be.