Southpaw immediately assaults the audience with bruising hyper-masculinity, almost straight away throwing us into the boxing ring. From that loud assault of an opening, film tells an intense, high-stakes story that eventually evolves into a surprisingly thoughtful sports drama.
Billy Hope (Jake Gyllenhaal ) is on top of the world, completely undefeated in the ring and with a beautiful, loving wife Maureen (Rachel McAdams) and six-year-old daughter Leila (Oona Laurence). Everything comes crashing down around him, though, when a scuffle with a loudmouth rival (Miguel Gomez) results in Maureen’s death by shooting.
Billy is a brute, prone to fits of anger and lacking in self-control. It is the influence of gym owner Tick Wills (Forest Whitaker) that finally helps him see the part he has played in his own misfortune. The interplay between these two characters provides a depth of character that sets Southpaw apart from like-minded films.
Forest Whitaker is spectacular as Tick Wills. He plays the character stoic and wise without having to resort to being the caricature of the black guru. Jake Gyllenhaal also proves once again that he is a brilliant character actor. His very bearing, from his stance to his voice, becomes that of Billy, making for a fully realised and deeply flawed hero.
Sadly, the same cannot be said of the entire cast, in particular the antagonists. Miguel Gomez is not given a whole lot to do aside from leer and spout insults, so his character feels more like a plot device than a human being.
What the film does get right, though, is cast a keen eye upon a harmful and pervasive culture of violence. It is immensely moving and satisfying to see Billy come to terms with his own flaws, and to see him struggle with his nature both inside and outside of the ring.
The fight and practise scenes are beautifully composed, somehow at once being boldly matter-of-fact and grippingly cinematic. Southpaw is a confident and un-flashy movie that knows what it wants to do and does it well.
The blaring rap-rock soundtrack is a little on-the-nose, some scenes have a slight tendency to descend into melodrama or cliché, and some subplots seem to trail off without going anywhere, but these are relatively minor complaints. Southpaw is a greatly enjoyable and emotionally affecting film with some superb performances.
Southpaw opens in Australian cinemas on Thursday August 20.
