So I recently watched Southpaw and I'm here to bring you my review. So without further ado.......
Billy Hope (played by Jake Gyllenhaal) seemingly has it all with an impressive career, a beautiful and loving wife (played by Rachel McAdams), an adorable daughter (played by Oona Laurence) and a lavish lifestyle. When tragedy strikes and his lifelong manager and friend (played by Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson) leaves him behind, Hope hits rock bottom and turns to an unlikely savior at a run-down local gym: Tick Willis (played by Forest Whitaker), a retired fighter and trainer to the city's toughest amateur boxers. With his future riding on Tick's guidance and tenacity, Billy enters the hardest battle of his life as he struggles with redemption and to win back the trust of those he loves.
This was a phenomenal film (no pun intended especially if you've heard the soundtrack). I'm a huge fan of boxing films and this is easily one of my favorite boxing films and that is saying a lot. This is a performance driven film and I say becasue the story is really cliched and predictable. As for the performances everyone in the film does their part to help to move the film along and this has to easily one of the best casts in a film this year. Jake Gyllenhaal continues his hot streak of Academy Award level performances with this film and he completely transforms himself and you can tell this man really wants to win an Oscar and I would be shocked if he doesn't at least get a nomination at the next year's Oscars. I also really loved Forrest Whitaker in the film and this is his best performance since winning his Oscar for The Last King of Scotland and I wouldn't be surprised to see him getting an Oscar nomination. But out of all the performances the one that stands out was Oona Laurenece who commanded the screen every time she is on it and I wouldn't be surprised if she got an Oscar nomination and she has a lot of potential and a bright future down the line. Another thing that really stood out was the way the boxing scenes were filmed and the filmmakers made you feel like you were in the boxing match and that's something we haven't seen from a boxing film since probably Raging Bull in 1982. Overall this was a really solid boxing film and eventhough it is cliched and predictable, the performances alone are enough for you to see this film. I give Southpaw a 9 out of 10.
So ladies and gentlemen what did you think of Southpaw, what would you rate it and what did you think of my review? Let me know in the comments section below and let your voice be heard.
Jonah Sparks
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