One of the Best of 2015 - Acting (and Directing)

Rating: 9/10 (4 November 2015)

Antoine Fuqua, like Todd Field, knows how to get the best from his actors. He directed a Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role win for Denzel Washington and Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role nomination for Ethan Hawke with the landmark Training Day (2001). He directed Hawke again along with Richard Gere and Don Cheadle with the fine Brooklyn's Finest (2009) and now "Southpaw" may be his crown achievement even if slightly formulaic feel good tough boxing movie.
Now, he literally trains with and transforms Jake Gyllenhaal into the fictional boxer Billy Hope. Hope is a high profile boxer who has issues and when his life turns for the worse he is a sad human mess played to perfection by Gyllenhaal who's Oscar Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role nomination for Brokeback Mountain (2005) may be backed by a Leading Role nod for this which he barely missed for Nightcrawler (2014) with more deserving top notch tough competition but was nominated for Golden Globes.
Forest Whitaker who played the Golden Globe Best Actor nominee dejected, drunk and talented Bird (1988) now plays the bruised but wise mentor and coach in "Southpaw". In this subtle supporting role, he hasn't been this good since his momentous Oscar win for The Last King of Scotland (2006).
Rachel McAdams is beyond believable as Hope's wife and may get her first supporting actress nom if the stars are aligned although her part may be overlooked for various reasons. Her acting performance is however crucial to the whole storyline and she pulls it off and then some.
Last but not least, Oona Laurence plays Hope's daughter with depth and takes control of powerful scenes. We haven't seen strong child acting like this for a long time - think Haley Joel Osment in Sixth Sense (1999) not Quvenzhane Wallis in Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012). Even better than 2015 worthy co-favourite film "Room" performance by Jacob Tremblay. Other current contenders for best of the year I have seen and agree with are Scott's "The Martian" and Villeneuve's "Sicario" sans Gyllenhaal. I haven't seen Spielberg's "Bridge of Spies", Zemickis' "The Walk", Boyle's "Steve Jobs," Crowley's "Brooklyn", or Haynes' "Carol", and I am anticipating "The Revenant" from one of my long time favourite directors like everyone else.
Gyllenhaal who's work with Villeneuve in Enemy and Prisoners proved he is a formidable lead in 2013, garners much attention here and Fuqua and his film will make waves before his Magnificent Seven remake hits the theatres next year... with Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke.
This movie will have you feeling, thinking and cheering for the growth, not the glory.
Bon cinema!
PS: look out for Cheadle's directorial debut "Miles Ahead" as well.