Fantastic work by Gyllenhaal and McAdams

Rating: Null/10 (30 August 2015)

Well... I mean, boxing films... they will never go away. And neither will their formula. It's a question of how well their formula is executed (Raging Bull remains the only boxing film I've ever seen that transcends to actual greatness). I thought this was good, if a little unfocused and dull in its second act. I remember seeing the "and Rachel McAdams" in the opening credits and found it weird that she wasn't second billed to Jake, but thought "whatever" (take note, I had read absolutely nOTHING about the plot summary for this so all i had to go by was the poster. Granted, I was unbelievably shocked that they killed her off, but as it is, only those first 30 minutes were great. Jake Gyllenhaal is definitely great here, but as unbelievable as many pointed him out to be? Naaah, and certainly not close to his searing, monumental performance in last year's Nightcrawler, but it's yet another great performance in a career that seems to be getting stronger and stronger every year. He's one of the best actors currently working and his dedication shows. He's definitely the best reason to see it. I'm not a huuuge McAdams fan, but I thought she made such a strong impact and presence that when she left I felt like i had also lost her. Amazing acting by both her and Jake during her death scene, certainly some of the best work she's ever done.