Gyllenhaal Elevates This Formulaic Boxing Movie Above Most Others

Rating: 7/10 (21 July 2015)

I got to see an advanced screening of Southpaw tonight at my local AMC. I was highly anticipating this movie mainly because I was blown away last year with Jake Gyllenhaal in Nightcrawler and was eager to see how he would play the short-tempered, completely ripped Billy Hope.
The story is as expected. Gyllenhaal's Billy Hope is at the top of his game and he has everything he wants. However, a series of events occur that causes Billy Hope's life to crumble around him until he has nothing left. From there he must fight his way back to the top to reclaim his former glory. It sounds like a familiar story line and that's because it is, but it is executed very well and acted superbly that it makes the film seem fresh.
To continue with the acting, every performance in this film is terrific and the actors play well off one another. While Gyllenhaal is the obvious standout, others like Forest Whitaker and Rachel McAdams perform their roles with such brilliance that it just elevates Gyllenhaal's role and the film even more.
As for problems, obviously being a formulaic movie comes with a fair share of predictability. Also, there are moments where the film becomes a tad bit heavy handed in its approach to what the audience should be feeling. However, there is nothing glaring that completely takes away from the enjoyment that is to be had with Southpaw.
Lastly, a mention must be made for James Horner's score. It was fantastic and really improved every scene, whether the audience was supposed to feel sympathetic, sorrow, or joyful. RIP
Overall, Southpaw not only showcases the acting abilities of its entire cast, it tells an excellent redemption story with Billy Hope. Let's hope this is the role that gets Gyllenhaal recognized for not only his performance, but his transformation as well.
"You should see the other guy"