Review of Resurrecting the Champ (2007) by Michael D — 10 Mar 2008

I love how it is said in this film:

A writer, like a boxer, must stand alone. Having your words publish like entering a ring puts your talent on displayed. And there is no way out. The truth is revealed and sometimes it can be disastrous.

I sit here and muse in my mind the film I just saw. I apply the subtle meshing of themes and journalistic values in my life; Integrity, Authenticity, Truth, Consequence and Redemption.

It is hard to really imagine how I truly feel about these things unless I actually allow myself to connect to these fundamentals of modern day journalism. Every day, journalists experience these raw boundaries, and juggle them consciously or subconsciously. But, we cannot all be Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein.

And I do believe that the media is taking a step back into the dark ages. But I really do not wish to delve deep into the article about the state of modern journalism, because after all this is the film we are talking about.

Josh Hartnett, the tragic hero, progresses through his growth circle from beginning to end and transcends the very essence of these mortal journalistic values on us. They are wound and dragged through the dirt and close to being counted out. But he is a good man who works this around to try to bring goodness into it.

But, this is not just a movie about boxing and a failed attempted at journalism. The themes easily morph into feelings you can relate to your our life, and you see them transcend into his personal relationships and world. This is not a feel good movie; it is a self deprived reality on what the world is and our meaningful place within it.

The screen play, the story and the acting where top notch and this is definitely a performance that both Samuel L. Jackson and Hartnett can truly be proud of. The story is rich and filled with many thought provoking themes and images.

To error is human, but to be redeemed and then succeed is the future we should embrace.