Southpaw starring Jake Gyllenhaal explores the life of a prospering boxer before a tragedy struck that takes all he ever loved and cared for, how he gets back on track is all that is left to see.
It's an unsurprising portrayal of an obvious part, but at least [Gyllenhaal] executes it terribly well, something that cannot be said for the remainder of an equally unsurprising, obvious motion picture.
Just as director Antoine Fuqua starts to close in on something interesting and unexpected, he retreats to the safety of his corner and gives us what we've seen too many times before: a predictable flurry of melodramatic jabs.
When you look past Fuqua's jittery directing, which dices up shots and leans the camera close into its star's painstakingly battered mug, Southpaw is a melange of familiar fighter movie ideas and images going back to Rocky.
Southpaw may not bring anything new to the table but there's a nostalgic comfort in watching Billy -- a hardened stereotypical male who is willing to risk disastrous injury for love and glory both in and outside the ring.
Can be too conventional at times because of its calculated and cliche script but the director compensates it with a dynamic staging. [Full review in Spanish]
The modicum of pleasure delivered by "Southpaw" arrives thanks to its cast, who struggle bravely and energetically with the hopelessly bland text and the invisible, impersonal direction.
