Great Performances, Weak Story

Rating: 6/10 (8 September 2015)

As far as sports movies go, Southpaw is not really up there with the first Rocky or Raging Bull, but it's not a total loss either. Some of the better elements of this movie are the performances, especially Jake Gyllenhaal's, who's on a winning streak in the most recent years (see Prisoners, Enemy or Nightcrawler).The side characters include Rachel McAdams as his wife, Forest Whitaker as the trainer, Oona Laurence as the daughter and 50 Cent as a fight manager. They all do a decent job, but the one who really shines out is Oona Laurence.
The directing style of Antoine Fuqua is beautiful, the fight scenes look amazing, some of the best boxing fights we had on the big screen. The way the camera is positioned, you really feel you're in the ring with the fighters and that adds an intensity to the scene.
That being said, the movie really falls short in the story section. The screenplay is filled with clichés and predictable elements that you meet in every boxing movie ever made. Also the at some points, the plot becomes overly dramatic, there isn't a single touch of humor to lighten some of the movie's scenes.
If you're a fan of Jake Gyllenhaal then this movie is a decent watch, if not, go and re-watch the original Rocky. All in all, this movie gets a 6 out of 10.