The Boxer (1997)
Rating: 2.5 stars (out of 4.0) ******************************** Key to rating system: 2.0 stars - Debatable 2.5 stars - Some people may like it 3.0 stars - I liked it 3.5 stars - I am biased in favor of the movie 4.0 stars - I felt the movie's impact personally or it stood out ********************************* A Movie Review by David Sunga
Directed by: Jim Sheridan
Written by: Jim Sheridan and Terry George
Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Emily Watson, Gerard McSorley
Synopsis: Irish boxer Danny Flynn has just gotten out of prison. He was in an Irish prison because he took the rap for an Irish Republican Army buddy named Harry (Gerard McSorley). Danny has suffered his 14-year sentence in silence without ratting on anyone and now he is finally out. Unfortunately, he lives in Belfast, Northern Ireland, an urban setting where Catholics and Protestants are in violent political confrontation with each other, and random bombings are a fact of life. Back on the street, Danny tries to sort out his life by starting a boxing training center. He also restarts a relationship with his former lover, Maggie (Emily Watson) who is now married to a jailed IRA terrorist and has a preteen boy. Danny fights a total of two boxing opponents during the entire film, which is not about boxing. The film is actually about intense sadness and despair and a messed up political situation which can't seem to be solved. THE BOXER is a sympathy movie about Northern Ireland.
Opinion: There is a lot of fine acting in this movie, but the film crawls along a little too slowly for my tastes; it has a slow pace and people speak slowly, too. An oft heard line seems to be, "What do you mean?" THE BOXER succeeds in portraying the dismal, unresolved, and hopelessly depressing life of occupied Belfast more so than telling any story about boxing competition.
Speaking of boxing, I think actor Daniel Day-Lewis makes a very credible boxer. His character is intense and brooding. His hands are fairly fast, and he has nimble footwork. He throws the left straight, with crispness and authority. Punches thrown with the right hand, however, have a crooked looping motion, and seem weaker. Daniel would probably make a passable real life southpaw, provided he remembers not to drop his left guard after each punch.
Reviewed by David Sunga January 9, 1998
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