By Darlene Donloe
Jake Gyllenhaal
knows how to inhabit a role.
One of the
industry’s most versatile actors, in recent years Academy Award® nominee Gyllenhaal
has spread his creative wings to bring to life some memorable characters.
With each film
he ups his game. Whether it’s Zodiac, Enemy, End of Watch, Brokeback Mountain, Source Code,
Prisoners, or last year’s Nightcrawler, Gyllenhaal is effective
and affecting.
His latest entry
is as Billy ‘The Great’ Hope, the reigning Light Heavyweight Boxing Champion,
in the drama, Southpaw, in theaters
nationwide July 24.
Hope is riding
high. He has it all – a great career, an envious lifestyle, a beautiful wife
(Rachel McAdams) and an adorable young daughter (Oona Laurence). The family dynamic the actors bring forth is
part of what makes this film believable. The family seems authentic. There is a
sense of closeness, familiarity and love.
His life takes a
disastrous turn when he has a confrontation with one of his boxing rivals. During that same time his lifelong manager
and friend (Curtis ‘50 Cent’ Jackson) leaves him to manage that rival. The
snowball going downhill continues to gain speed when Hope’s money runs out,
leaving him destitute.
If that were not
enough, he loses custody of his daughter, leaving him rock bottom.
Eventually he
takes a job as a janitor at a local gym run by Tick Willis (Academy Award®
winner Forest Whitaker). Willis just happens to train boxers. After much
coaxing he reluctantly agrees to train Hope for a chance to regain his title.
(l-r) Jake Gyllenhaal and Curtis '50 Cent' Jackson
It’s not easy,
but Hope, determined to regain custody of his daughter, agrees to the
unconventional way Willis trains. Hope is used to fighting from a sense of
rage. Willis teaches him to fight
effectively with strategy and finesse.
Still, Hope finds
that redemption is a hard rock traveled. His daughter, filled with
disappointment at her father’s inability to get her out of the system and bring
her home quickly, refuses to see him.
His has also lost respect with his fellow fighters who consider him a
has-been.
Gyllenhaal brings
his A game to this film. He delivers an intense, sometimes painful performance.
He shows vulnerability, disappointment, angst, terror and, of course, agony.
The always exceptional
Whitaker is a gem. He adds just the right amount of gruffness to the character.
Jackson plays a
slippery character. Unfortunately you can see the slick coming from a mile
away.
Naomie Harris (Skyfall) plays a no-nonsense social
worker. Her performance is noteworthy.
Director Antoine
Fuqua has assembled a stellar cast and crafted a fine, energetic film that is
raw and gutsy.
Southpaw is a knockout film that should do well
at the box office. With Gyllenhaal,
Whitaker, Rachel McAdams and Fuqua in the mix
Southpaw, in theaters July 24, is directed by
Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) and stars
Jake Gyllenhaal, Forest Whitaker, Curtis ’50 Cent’ Jackson, Rachel McAdams,
Rita Ora, Naomi Harris, Oona Laurence and Victor Ortiz.
On the DONLOE
SCALE: D (don’t bother), O (oh, no), N (needs work), L (likeable), O (oh, yeah)
and E (excellent), Southpaw gets an E
(excellent).
Southpaw is
Rated R; Runtime: 119 Minutes
OFFICIAL WEBSITE: http://southpawfilm.com/
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/SouthpawMovie
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/southpawmovie
INSTAGRAM: https://instagram.com/southpawmovie/
HASHTAG: #Southpaw
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