Southpaw

 I've said it before and I'll say it again: Jake Gyllenhaal is one of the finest actors of our generation. Last year, he starred in “Nightcrawler,” a thriller about a man making a living off filming crimes and accidents on the streets of L.A. The year before in “Prisoners,” he played a detective trying to help two couples try and find their daughters. Those two films showcased Gyllenhaal at his finest, and you become fully engrossed in those two characters, and yet the Academy didn't nominate him for either performance, which is criminal. Gyllenhaal more than deserved a nomination, and yet he gets shelved aside for other performances that you look at and question how THAT got a nomination, yet he didn't. And from how things are looking here, it'll take a miracle for the academy to give him the long overdue nomination for his newest film, “Southpaw.”

The film tells of famous light heavy-weight boxer, Billy Hope, who's life spirals out of control after his wife is shot and killed during his conflict with smack talking boxer, Miguel “Magic” Escobar. With his home, fortune, title, and daughter taken from him, he finds employment from former boxer, Titus “Tick” Wills, who trains him to get his life back on track.

For a story about a boxer's comeback after his fall from grace, Antoine Fuqua directs it to its peak. The boxing matches are handles very strongly, adding so much grit and intense flare to it, yet it flows in a way that feels natural. I also love how he used the shaky cam technique right, having it used for P.O.V. shots and making us see through the dizzy fatigue that the fighters have in their line of sight. Major props to Mauro Fiore for his excellent work as Fuqua's go-to cinematographer.

Jake Gyllenhaal, once again, gives it his all in this film. His performance as a man who struggles with pulling his life back together is heartfelt and fantastic with each passing second. I also loved how they didn't make his character sink to an even deeper low, when he hunts down his wife's murderer, and sees that he has a family of his own. That scene, while it doesn't last long, is still very effective. It may not be as good as his performance in “Nightcrawler,” but it's still one that I would definitely say is worth a Best Actor nomination. Oona Laurence as his daughter, Leila, was equally as touching, and I'm hoping she gets a nomination for Best Supporting Actress, especially at her age. She goes through that emotional point in her life, blaming her dad for all of the bad things that happened, which is normal for kids to do that. The scenes with her and Gyllenhaal are very touching and the most emotional part of the film and easily the best acted.

I also give props to Forest Whitaker as Tick, another performance in the film that's worth an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Sure, he's the Mickey Goldmill of the film, but Whitaker handles it in such a graceful and dignified way, that it stands out as its own thing. And as the film goes on, he and Gyllenhaal start to grow on each other, learn how the other thinks and how they can put a proper fighting strategy into play for the greater good. Miguel Gomez as Magic was another great highlight of the film, playing a character that we love to hate. He's a smart-ass you want to see get punched in the face, and to our satisfaction, he does. Other cast members like Naomi Harris, Rachel McAdams, 50 Cent, Skylan Brooks, Beau Knapp, Victor Oritz, and Clare Foley, are all very enjoyable onscreen.

The script was written by Kurt Sutter, best known as the creator of “Sons of Anarchy.” For his first feature film, he pulled through and gave us one of the best boxer films in a while. And from the looks of it, it looks like “Creed” has some competition.

Lastly, I want to talk about the incredible score composed by James Horner. His skills really set the mood and allowed the music to be apart of the atmosphere in the film, something he was always best at. It's sad that he died earlier this year, but thankfully his legacy will live on, no matter what. This was truly his swan song of a musical score. Rest in peace, good sir.

Overall, “Southpaw” is one of my favorite films of the year, and while I know it won't happen after the reception this film received, I'm still going to cross my fingers for this film to get nominated for it's performances. It's intense, it's heartfelt, and it's both physically and emotionally brutal.

Rating: 10/10