THE BOXER (1997) A Film Review by Ted Prigge Copyright 1998 Ted Prigge
Director: Jim Sheridan Writers: Jim Sheridan and Terry George Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Emily Watson, Brian Cox, Ken Stott, Gerard McSorley, Ciaran Fitzgerald, Elanor Methaven, Kenneth Cranham
Contrary to the title, "The Boxer" is not another Rocky story only this time spliced with some cold hard politics. It's actually three movies in one: a political film, a boxing film, and a love story. All of these work in their own respects and have some pretty decent balancing betwixt the three elements of the story, but somehow it seems kind of cliched and unoriginal. We've seen it all before, and we're just not blown away with it like we should be. Oh well. It's still an excellent irish story.
"The Boxer" of the title is Danny Flynn (Jim Sheridan staple Daniel Day-Lewis), an ex-IRA member who gets out of a Belfast prison after 14 years, and finds out that his troubles are far from over. First off, the IRA is having a small civil war between its leader Joe Hamill (Brian Cox), and one of its sub-leaders, Harry (Gerard McSorley), both having opposing views on getting many of their members out of jail.
While this is going on, Danny and his old drunkard buddie, Ike (Ken Stott, who played the chief inspector in Danny Boyle's "Shallow Grave"), re-open an old gym which allows the two opposing religios sects, Protestant and Catholics, to work together. Danny not only begins teaching kids how to box, but has stayed in great shape whilst in prison, and is ready to start boxing real people again.
And Danny runs into his ex-love, Maggie ("Breaking the Waves"'s Emily Watson), who hasn't seen him since he went in. They don't easily start up their romance again because she's the wife of a prisoner whom she married during Danny's tenure in prison, and also has a son, Liam (Ciaran Fitzgerald), from him, whom Liam is hoping will get out soon. But the two are slowly re-drawn to eachother again, and this begins to complicate things.
The political story is nothing really special but works in itself. We've seen it many a time before, but it's at least interesting, sometimes emotional, and even riveting at times. There's a big riot towards the middle of the film which is frightening in its brutality and honesty. The boxing story is very minor to the story, but does represent people coming together to fight eachother fairly, and even with good sportsmanship. There are only a few boxing scenes, but they're never like "Raging Bull"/let's-strip-down-the-sport-to-its-bones brilliant. They're more realistic, and instead of bone crunching, we hear the sound of the gloves hitting eachother, which is slightly unerving at times. And I didn't know Daniel Day-Lewis was in such good shape.
But the backbone of the story is the love one. Because these characters are given such horrible circumstances, and since the two leads have such great chemistry together, we really feel for their plight. As the film goes on, and circumstances get worse and worse, the characters have to make real human decisions, and we can sympathize with them as humans not characters. This is how you write a love story - take note, Hollywood.
These elements are pretty much equally balanced, with each of the parts of the stories working hand-in-hand with eachother. I loved how each of the different parts of the plot mattered, and sometimes spilled over into the next. It made sure that we didn't just care for one of them. I'm not saying they're all equally great, because the love story really carries the film, but at least they all work out respectively.
The acting is amazing, with Day-Lewis and Watson giving excellent performances and showing great chemistry. I'm not sure if they're Oscar-nominee bound, but they're very good. In the supporting roles, Billy Cox is greatly sympathetic as the IRA leader losing control of his daughter and his workers. But the film is stolen acting wise by Ken Stott as Ike, who is just a great scene stealer.
The direction and co-writing by Jim Sheridan (with the other co-writing credit going to Terry George) is excellent, rounding out the characters well, but not pacing everything greatly. I noticed that the first half was very leisurely (yet fascinating), but the second half whirls by at a quick pace, and ends much too quickly. More time could have been spent thinking up the ending, since it does seem quite sloppy.
Though "The Boxer" is a good film, it never achieves the greatness that it should. Sure, it's a masterpiece compared to most of the Hollywood drivel we usually get, but on it's own, it just could have been better. But it still works out, gives us a great love story combined with a political and boxing drama, and features great acting. Even if it could have been better, this'll do.
MY RATING (out of 4): ***
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