PLAY IT TO THE BONE ** (out of four stars) A review by Jamey Hughton
Starring-Woody Harrelson, Antonio Banderas, Lolita Davidovich, Lucy Lui, Tom Sizemore, Robert Wagner and Richard Masur Director-Ron Shelton Canadian Rating-14A
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We know Ron Shelton can do sports movies. He has a knack for capturing the familiar ups and downs accompanied by professional athletics, from baseball (`Bull Durham') to basketball (`White Men Can't Jump') to golf (`Tin Cup'). With `Play it to the Bone', Shelton has tip-toed in boxing territory. Unfortunately, `Play It' is not a sports movie - it's a road movie about sports. This sets up an unnecessary obstacle course that Shelton has difficulty in overcoming, and the audience is short-changed with predictability in the process.
Right down to the bare details, `Play it to the Bone' is a guy movie. We open in Las Vegas, where the undercard match for the upcoming Mike Tyson fight has just hit a patch of trouble. One of the boxers is dead, and the other is doped up in a hotel room, surrounded by half-naked prostitutes. Joe Domino (Tom Sizemore) needs two new fighters, and fast. So he decides to recruit a pair of washed-up boxing buddies named Vince Boudreau (Woody Harrelson) and Cesar Dominguez (Antonio Banderas). As best friends, it's an awkward position for Vince and Cesar to be duking it out in the ring, but a handsome $100,000 purse aids in the decision process. Within a few hours, the two chums are traveling the road to Vegas, with juggled girlfriend Grace (Lolita Davidovich) behind the wheel. `Play it to the Bone' actually doesn't venture into boxing until the final blood-soaked bout between Vince and Cesar. Until then, it's a road movie, in which we admire the attractive Nevada desert scenery and marvel at the inconsistent attempts at solid character development. Shelton's screenplay is obvious and derivative, but to his credit, the story moves at a relatively harmonious pace and the viewer's attention never strays too far.
During their trek to Vegas, we are obviously intended to learn important details about the characters of Vince and Cesar. The extent of Shelton's personality navigation leads us to the realization that Cesar once experimented with homosexuality after a humiliating match in Vegas, and that Vince regularly sees Jesus. Great, huh? To add a little dash of spice, Shelton adds the character of Lia (Lucy Lui), a confused sex kitten who joins the car pool when she offers to buy gas and waffles. Although it's occasionally quite funny, it's safe to say that `Play it to the Bone' has its priorities in a tangle. The final boxing tussle between the two friends is a bloody, merciless war of well-choreographed cuts and jabs. Grace, who runs from corner to corner to offer advice and encouragement, can't bear to watch as the bone-crunching battle continues through several rounds. She has the same problem as the audience: knowing both the fighters, she doesn't want either to lose. The big scuffle, though exciting, is an awkward predicament for everyone involved, and Shelton doesn't pull the right punches to emerge unscathed.
Harrelson and Banderas do fine jobs. I was particularly impressed with Antonio, who is displaying more range and versatility than his sullen `Desperado' days. Both actors look very convincing in the ring. With Grace, Lolita Davidovich creates an interesting character. She offers some feminine stability to separate the testosterone-driven Vince and Cesar, and most of the time it works. Sadly, like many things in the movie, her character is little more than an elaborate cliché. While he totally explored the sport of baseball in `Bull Durham' (possibly his best), Shelton does little more than scratch the surface of boxing. There is urgency lacking in his approach, and even by simple guy-movie standards, there is something missing. One thing that is guaranteed - a Ron Shelton trademark - are a few raunchy moments sprinkled here and there.
Go with a group of your guy buddies, and you may enjoy this predictable Shelton offering. But overall, `Play it to the Bone' misses the knock-out. It merely circles, looking for an opportunity to strike that never quite arises.
(C) 2000, Jamey Hughton
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