Review of Fighting (2009) by Joseph G — 20 May 2010

This is an example of a movie that's driven by cinematography and direction. It's the second feature film from Dito Montiel, and while it is not as good as his previous film, A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints, it works well enough for me to recommend it.

Channing Tatum stars in this feature as Shawn MacArthur, a man trying to work on the streets in New York City for money when he meets Harvey, played by Terrence Howard. Harvey sees Shawn get in a fight and notices that he has good fighting skills.

From here, Harvey offers Shawn the chance to work underground in fights, which pay big money for him if he wins. Shawn accepts, and Harvey gets him in his first fight. It seems that these fights have no rules, as the two fighters can punch, kick, grapple, use boundaries, and even take the fight outside of the fighting area.

It may be hard to believe, but it works well into the story as it progresses. After Shawn wins his first fight, Harvey introduces him to other men who work in the fights. Shawn also meets a girl named Zulay, who is played by lesser known actress Zulay Henao, and he develops interest in her.

These scenes are good parts of the story as they develop the characters, but the problem is that the dialogue is uninteresting. The characters are intriguing, and the acting is fine, but the weak dialogue can't carry the scenes to their fullest.

This weakens the structure of the movie and its conflict. Aside from that, the cinematography is quite good. The gritty urban side of New York City is well-captured. Dito Montiel was inspired by his own knowledge of street fighting during his time in NYC to make this, and he does a good job at bringing the audience into that environment.

The highlight of the film is the fight sequences. The choreography in each fight sequence is excellent. It brings the audience right into each fight with its grittiness and provides intensity. Channing Tatum's performance is down-to-earth and very good.

His abilities strengthen the feature and show that he can carry a lead role. The soundtrack is well-used as well. Overall, while it suffers from uninteresting dialogue that can't carry the conflict well enough, the good acting, good directing, and excellent choreography make Fighting an enjoyable independent film.