“Southpaw” is about a down-on-his-luck boxer trying to make a comeback. Sound familiar? There are a few unique elements to this story, but ultimately, “Southpaw” relies on its knockout performances to carry you through a solid, but predictable, two-hour melodrama.
Jake Gyllenhaal continues his winning streak, following excellent work in “Prisoners” and “Nightcrawler”. Here he plays undefeated light-heavyweight champion Billy “The Great” Hope. His wife Maureen (Rachel McAdams) has been by his side since they were kids, both making it out of NY’s Hell’s Kitchen. But, as the film begins, she is seriously concerned for Billy, who is taking too many beatings. She wants him to stop fighting and spend more time with their young daughter, Leila.
Tragedy strikes the Hope family and Billy soon learns that he’s out of money (ironically, rapper 50 Cent, who recently filed for bankruptcy, plays Hope’s manager and financial advisor). Leila ends-up in the custody of Child Protective Services. Billy reaches-out to gym owner and former pro trainer Tick Willis (played by Forest Whitaker) for a job and a shot to get his life back.
“Southpaw” doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to the boxing scenes – they are very graphic and, for the most part, authentic. And Gyllenhaal, once again, immerses himself into his character – an emotionally unstable boxer and father. Whitaker’s multi-layered performance is actually the most impressive – as the Oscar winner greatly elevates the typical trainer role.
I give director Antoine Fuqua (whose Denzel Washington action film “The Equalizer” came-out just 10 months ago) and screenwriter Kurt Sutter (TV’s “The Shield” and “Sons of Anarchy”) a lot of credit for the gutsy twist that comes within the first half hour. The film has an overall gritty feel, which adds to the realism, and some of the scenes with Billy and Leila are surprising and emotionally powerful. However, the ending is forced and disappointingly safe, as the arc of the story plays-out exactly as expected.
On The Official LCJ Report Card, “Southpaw” gets a B.
Running Time: 124 min.