The Boxer (1997)
Director: Jim Sheridan Cast: Daniel Day-Lewis, Emily Watson, Brian Cox, Ken Stott, Gerart McSorley, Eleanor Methven Screenplay: Jim Sheridan, Terry George Producers: Arthur Lappin, Jim Sheridan Runtime: 113 min. US Distribution: Universal Rated R: Sex, language, drugs, violence
By Nathaniel R. Atcheson (nate@pyramid.net)
When Danny Flynn (Daniel Day-Lewis) is released from prison after fourteen years served for involvement in the IRA, he heads back to his hometown of Belfast. Times are rough--the IRA is in full swing, and Danny's old neighborhood has been reduced to a war-torn ghetto. When he arrives, he immediately meets up with his old friend and boxing trainer, Ike (Ken Stott). Together, they reinstate an old gym and assemble a boxing league.
The IRA members for whom Danny went to jail--most notably Harry (Gerart McSorley)--give Danny a bad time because they feel that his actions are breaking up the community. Most people recognize that Danny is actually helping his fellow citizens, but Harry is not in his right mind. Even though he is in danger, Danny remains in Belfast, but only because of Maggie (Emily Watson), the woman he left behind to spend fourteen years in prison. Maggie's father, Joe (Brian Cox), is also a member of the IRA, but he is interested in slowing the destruction, and finds himself at odds with Harry.
The Boxer, directed and co-written by Jim Sheridan, is an intelligent, brilliantly-acted film. The story is straightforward and easy to digest, while the characters are intricate and uniformly interesting. Sheridan's direction and pacing is also impressive: he handles the story with just the right tone and mood, and the result is an accessible--if not always completely involving--drama.
I realized as I watched The Boxer that I had never seen Daniel Day-Lewis in any film before. This is only relevant because I can't asses the quality of this performance in comparison to his others; I can say, however, that this is an excellent performance in its own right. Danny is a brooding, thoughtful character--he seems to frequently hold his words, and he only bursts out once or twice during the film. Day-Lewis' portrayal of this man is extremely good; I can tell he is the kind of performer that loses himself in the character, and this allows the audience to forget that they're watching a performer do his job.
This is Watson's first performance since Breaking the Waves, and I'm still as impressed as I was when I first saw her in the earlier film. She's a dynamic, emotive actress, and she demands presence the way few actresses can. I'm actually surprised that she didn't nail a nomination for this role--in just two performances, Watson proves she has more range than most performers working in the business. The leads are complimented by a talented and seamless supporting cast: Cox does a good job as Maggie's constantly-agitated father, McSorley elicits plenty of negative reactions as the IRA man who has lost his mind, and Stott is likable as Danny's alcoholic friend.
A love story like this can only work if we like and identify with the characters and their story. Sheridan's script is quiet and subtle enough that the political subplots don't get in the way of the human story behind it. Danny and Maggie are realistic, well-drawn characters; what makes their relationship interesting is that it's not static--it changes and evolves through the film, and in ways that make us care about the people.
Technically, the film is terrific. The cinematography is always impressive, particularly during the boxing matches. These scenes start off slowly, but Sheridan's eclectic use of the camera increases in intensity, and the matches are very exciting to watch. Similar build-up is used throughout the film, which results in numerous mini-climaxes that keep the film entertaining. However, the film could have been a bit more emotional. I like how Sheridan steers clear of that awful manipulative sentimentality, but some of the scenes that should be moving feel dry, and are carried only by the performers themselves. Not all scenes are like this--much of the film, including the conclusion, is very satisfying.
I felt that Sheridan was a little too charitable with Danny's character, however. By the last scene of the film, he hasn't done anything wrong: he is, essentially, a perfect individual. The one complication which I assumed would lead to a violent outburst on his part was resolved without his involvement, and each time he is forced to make a split-second decision, he makes the right one. While this doesn't hurt our perception of him, his perfect judgment and seemingly endless wisdom make him slightly difficult to handle as a realistic, everyday character.
Nonetheless, The Boxer is a good, solid film. It's a smart, original love story that both entertains and gives its audience something to think about.
*** out of **** (7/10, B)
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Nathaniel R. Atcheson
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