A dark, gritty, emotional journey that captivates and inspires

Rating: 8/10 (6 September 2015)

Reviewed July 26th, 2015 after 1st viewing (Theatrical 2D) Escape Artists / Fuqua Films - Directed by: Antoine Fuqua
Antoine Fuqua does it again! This dark and gritty story is a prime example of how you must sometimes necessarily fall to rise. Southpaw (2015) is the tale of a young boxer by the name of Billy Hope (Jake Gyllenhaal) who along with his lovely wife Maureen (Rachel McAdams) came up in the system together.
Rachel McAdams as his wife and Oona Lawrence as his daughter do a fantastic job pulling on your heartstrings. They really worked as a believable family dynamic, with Maureen always being responsible for running their daily activities and his career. Your heart is truly broken by the end of the first act. I cannot speak highly enough of Oona's performance—I was truly captivated by her.
After losing it all, he seeks the help of a local trainer (Forest Whitaker) trying to make a difference in affected youths' lives. Hope must learn how to set aside his vanity and pride for the sake of his daughter, and embarks on a life-changing journey to reconnect with his daughter. I really found his daughter's displacement to be equally heart-wrenching and believable.
Gyllenhaal's portrayal of Hope is nothing short of impressive, choosing to train extensively not only for the physicality of the role, but for the emotional depth as well. Fuqua's direction serves to convey the realism and grittiness of their lives, truly captivating the audience from the beginning. The interplay between the score and soundtrack surprisingly works well. The pace is just right, never slowing down enough to cause you to lose interest. I was truly surprised at how emotionally invested I was early on, which I attribute largely to the acting talent.
Even though it is a bit formulaic, it winds up being irrelevant, as you are on this ride with Hope the entire way, rooting for him all-the-while knowing he will get there with his determination. The film actually works on a number of levels, drawing and maintaining your interest whether you for the boxing and the soundtrack or the human interest story, it was masterfully rolled into one dynamic.
FINAL VERDICT: I was truly amazed at not only how the film captured my interest, but my heart—even when I knew what would happen in the first act. All of the elements came together beautifully, and I wound up loving what I expected to be a mediocre boxing film. There's so much more than meets the eye here.
8.0 of 10.0