By CHRIS PUNTO & NATALIE SACKET
Columnists
After three weeks of suffering through classes, we decided to put up our dukes and fight back! Our pick this week:
Southpaw (2015)
Chris-
3.5 out of 5
That was a terrible intro guys. Sorry about that. But I’m all stopped up and barely able to breathe so let’s get into it.
“Southpaw”, starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Rachel McAdams, is about a boxer who is on the brink of losing it all and has to find himself to be able to redeem his title, and more importantly, his life
Does that sound familiar to anyone? Try one of the Rocky movies. The lack of originality in this film is what sets it back a couple of notches for me. It’s a basic sports movie with enough touchy-feely content to bring in the jock’s girlfriends.
That being said, it wasn’t a bad sports movie. The film had some pretty great acting. Gyllenhaal has proved himself again and again to be a class A actor. I see an Oscar in his future. Maybe not for this film, but sometime soon.
Rachel McAdams on the other hand served absolutely no purpose other than to make girls cry. I won’t throw up any spoilers but I really think that the casting director was like “hmm who can I bring in that has a history of sad stupid movies…got it!” But I digress.
Overall the movie wasn’t bad. Everyone likes a good old fashioned redemption story. We like to cheer for the underdog. That’s why the Dallas Cowboys have a fan basis and that’s why this movie did well for me.
Bottom line: I want you guys to watch this movie. Every now and then it’s okay to sit back and watch a movie that doesn’t make you think much and makes you feel good on the inside when the credits roll.
Natalie-
2.5 out of 5
There isn’t anything necessarily unique to the plotline of “Southpaw.” For the most part it follows the typical sports movie formula: Athlete is extremely successful, athlete fails and falls from that success, athlete has an awesome and inspirational training montage, athlete has their moment of redemption. (Spoiler, this is precisely the formula of “Southpaw.”) Perhaps the only thing that saves the mediocre plot is Jake Gyllenhaal, who not only buffed up his physical appearance for the role, but his acting abilities as well.
Jake Gyllenhaal hits his opponents right in the face, and the viewer right in the feels. Just a viewer disclaimer, “Southpaw” will make your mood go south… fast. It is an emotionally heavy and draining film. For approximately a half hour after leaving the theatre, I was just in a funk. It’s a tough watch. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good drama. That being said, the film has to have levels, and “Southpaw” was stuck on level one: dismal.
I will say, there is one major surprise twist in the film… If you haven’t seen the trailer. I cannot fathom why the filmmakers chose to have a significant plot spoiler in the previews. If you choose to see “Southpaw,” skip the trailer and prepare to be shocked.
“Southpaw” isn’t necessarily a knockout, but watch it if you’re one of the dozen devoted boxing fans in America or are in the mood to cry.