Billy ‘The Great’ Hope seems to have everything. He has retained his title of World Light Heavyweight Boxing Champion, albeit after a particularly bloody match. He lives a life of sheer luxury in an enormous New York Mansion with his wife Maureen who adores him, and their cute precious daughter Leila who he totally dotes on. Not bad for someone that grew in a series of rough foster homes in the care of Children’s Services, followed by a spell or two behind bars. It is Maureen his childhood sweetheart who is the street smart one in their relationship and who calls the shots and had, ensured that they make the most of their success. Now she tells Billy that as he is 41 years old its time for him to take a break from boxing and maybe quit it all together before he ends up as just another old punch drunk boxer.She is however facing an uphill struggle convincing Billy as his manager, who sees his champion simply as a cash cow, fights back with even more lucrative offers which she insists that they reject. Then one night after a nasty public scuffle Maureen is accidentally fatally shot and soon after, a distraught grieving Billy without his wife to advise and protect him, is pressured into signing up for another match that will lead to his downfall and him losing everything. Including the custody of Leila.
Rock bottom, homeless and broke he ends up in a rundown gym in the projects belonging to a once very successful trainer Tick Willis. Billy needs a job and money to be able to get Leila back but as Tick has sworn off training professional boxers anymore, he has a tough job persuading him to take him on so that he can fight one last major match and win his
daughter and his dignity back.
This riches to rags (and back again) melodrama had been written very specifically for Eminem almost as a follow on from his semi-autobiographical ‘8 Mile’ however when he passed on the project, the producers made the inspired choice of beefing up Jake Gyllenhaal to tie on the gloves. He rises to the occasion so perfectly with a set of washboard abs and muscles that totally transform him for this very overly dramatic physical role that the Academy love handing out Awards for. His performance is every bit as good as the one he gave in ‘Nightcrawler’ last year that many considered was Oscar worthy. He is directed here by Antoine Fugua (slightly heavy-handily at the beginning) and the fact that Fugua himself was once a boxer accounts for some of the stunning staging and photography of the matches that have such a glorious intense realism to them. He does however never ever spare us from all the blood and gore at any time.
The extremely predictable story is at its best when it starts to focus on Billy out of the ring as he starts his rehabilitation with Tick (played quite brilliantly by Forrest Whittaker in his usual low-key un-showy style). Whilst we may not be surprised by any of the plots strands, Gyllenhaal imbues Billy and his bruised and tattooed body with such ferocity and earnestness, that we cannot fail to become so completely invested in the outcome.Credit too for Rachel McAdams as Maureen who ensured that the short time she was on screen was powerful enough that we would also share Billy’s loss when she was killed. Also to Curtis ’50 Cent’ Jackson, (who I had failed to recognize), in the crucial role of Billy’s manipulative manager.
There is however only one real reason to see this enjoyable and entertaining movie and that is Jake Gyllenhaal. We all knew that ‘Donnie Darko’ would just keep getting better and better.
