Review of Southpaw (2015) by Word P — 30 Aug 2015

Southpaw is a great addition to the long line of boxing movies that we see as classics, with the exception of Rocky 5 obviously.

Jake Gyllenhaal was amazing as the boxer Billy Hope. The range he exhibits as an actor is amazing and it seems like a crime that he has not won an Oscar yet.

The scenes Gyllenhaal were in were electrifying, while conveying an amazing range from psychotic and ferocious in the boxing ring to showcasing his vulnerability and pain he experienced outside of the ring, mostly having to deal with his wife, kid, and entourage.

Antoine Fuqua's visual style in the boxing matches was very captivating, providing a lot of quick cuts and energy while never losing the fluidity of the scene.

The emotional charged scenes with his friends and family were crafted flawlessly with every scene furthering the story leaving little room for the film to drag.

Forrest Whitaker seems to be on a roll this year. He has been involved in two of my favorite films of the year being this movie and Dope.

Whitaker has always been a quality actor and he delivers another great performance and it would shock me if he is not considered for a best supporting actor nomination.

Kurt Sutter wrote one hell of a script, but I would expect nothing less from a writer that has been killing it in tv with SOA and The Shield, and I can't wait to see his next project he is working on.

Great acting, an amazing soundtrack, fascinating cinematography, and a compelling story is more than enough reason to check out a great film that I hope the new Creed movie will live up to.