Film: Southpaw
Starring: Jake Gyllenhall
Directed by: Antoine Fuqua

Despite two incredible fights that serve as bookends to the story, Southpaw is a messy boxing film that never quite finds its groove.

There are very few story elements at play in Southpaw that you haven’t seen at least a few times before, typically in other films about boxing. It’s the story of a one-time sports hero, Billy Hope (Jake Gyllenhaal), who loses himself in a world of depression and rage following the loss of his wife (Rachel McAdams) in the film’s first act. As his spiral continues, the lavish lifestyle his career has provided begins to unravel, along with his ability to perform and raise his daughter (Oona Laurence). It’s not until he has hit rock bottom that Billy even realizes the damage done by his inner turmoil, and at that point there is only one way to find his way back to the top.

Director Antoine Fuqua and writer Kurt Sutter have each long-proven their ability to create gripping and gritty stories of individuals dealing with, and often overcoming, personal struggles. Southpaw is a rare miss for both, as it lacks the keen eye for storytelling that first established Fuqua’s presence in film, as well as Sutter’s knack for making heavy-handed drama feel authentic. There is a part of me that wants to believe both faults could be explained by a studio exec’s decision to cut out twenty or thirty minutes of narrative from the film, but there is no evidence of that being the case with this film. It’s simply an incomplete story, and that is a damn shame because everything could have been better with just a little more effort.

What does work well for the film–even when the script begins to soften–are the performances provided by Gyllenhaal and his on-screen trainer, Forest Whitaker. Once their characters meet in the film–which happens somewhere in the second act–Southpaw finds a sense of energy that had previously been lacking from the film. It’s not as much about the moves they make in the context of the story, but rather the conviction found in every line of dialogue that crosses their lips, because everyone already knows Billy Hope will eventually fight the young contender introduced at the beginning of the film. We want to see the training montage and other sequences related to fight preparation, but that alone is not enough to make us care about what’s happening on screen. That requires convincing talent, and that is the one thing Southpaw has in bulk.

I wish I could tell you Southpaw is the mid-budget boxing epic we have unknowingly been waiting our entire lives to enjoy, or that it was basically Rocky for a new generation, but it’s nowhere near either and it’s almost entirely forgettable. If the fights that serve as opening and closing sequences were not as breathtaking as teased in the long promotional campaign this film would be a far-too-shallow misfire that under-utilizes everything that makes it worthwhile. You may walk away entertained, but you certainly won’t be wowed.

GRADE: C

Review written by James Shotwell Follow @utgjames

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James Shotwell

James Shotwell is the founder of Under The Gun Review. He loves writing about music and movies almost as much as he loves his two fat cats. He's also the co-founder of Antique Records and the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. You should probably follow him on Twitter.

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