I confess that I am of those people who do not like nothing the boxing but, paradoxically, they tend to please about this so-called sport films. It will be because movies about boxing has given rise to great classics using the allegory of life, although the reality of this world is usually even more sordid and sad to that broadcast us films, often stripped of moral sense and the epic Halo that is given in cinema.

This genus belongs “Southpaw”, the film that inexplicably opens now in Spain, almost two years after his birth in the USA.

Southpaw means “left-handed” in English and is apparently a term used in the Anglo-Saxon fistic slang to refer to the somewhat unorthodox Boxer. Spanish distributor not it has seemed appropriate and has changed by the highly original title of “Redemption” making us step a summary of what and how the film ends.

“Redemption” tells the story of the world champion of the light heavyweight weight Billy Hope (played by Jake Gyllenhaal), who is at the peak of his career, lives with all kinds of luxuries in a fabulous mansion, has the love of a beautiful spouse (Rachel McAdams) and an adorable daughter. But an unexpected incident will cause the collapse of all that lifestyle and take Billy to bottoming, forcing him to fight in the toughest battle to achieve her own rescue and regain what he most wanted.

The film is directed by Antoine Fuqua, specialist in films of action with an important load of dramatic and emotional, who enjoys a reputation thanks to an outstanding bouquet of films since his debut in 1988 with “Replacement killers” and for my taste, with outstanding “Training day”, “Shooter” and lately the remake of “The magnificent 7” (a film which is later in time to it that concerns us now).

The great asset of the film is undoubtedly the portentous Jake Gyllenhall, perhaps the best actor of his generation, who true to his surname of Viking origin is an SUV whose mere presence raises the price and raises the quality of any film. From “Donnie Darko” in all the titles which has intervened, he has managed to Excel, and to this day, his mere presence is a plus of attraction for any film. We are eager to see “Live”, his next premiere of Sci-Fi, as well as “Okja” of Korean Bong Joo-Hoo, another tape also science fiction which is raising expectations. In addition to the own Fuqua is shooting film scheduled for 2018 “The Man Who Made it Snow”, since we are lucky that it is also neat and he likes to work. In “Redemption”, apart from its physical display, is a pleasure to see how it insufflates dramatic depth and introduces emotional nuance to a character Moreover from the more conventional.

We have a kind of Rocky for the 21st century, a film with almost the same structure as the mythical Stallone film, which then added to and meet all the clichés and conventions of the genre: the descent into hell and subsequent redemption referred to in the title, a simple character of noble background and apparently manipulated a helpless child – in this case a girl-, decisive affair, shabby gymnasiums, managers without scruples or a loser but wise coach. All the cliches and some more are present in this film, including this deep conversation in the bar of the bar which refers to the comparison between boxing and life.

However film, although it lacks the deep tragic drama of “Raging bull” or “Million Dolard Baby” and moves away from the epic intensity of “Rocky”, that adds drama and heroism in sufficient quantity to satisfy the millenials lazy reviewing those classic. These ingredients, Fuqua and screenwriter Kurt Sutter (creator of the series Sons of Anarchy) adds the corresponding quotas of sentimentality – by the child component – style any versions “Champion” with clear danger of empalago, but without reaching the intractable sweetness of the remake of Zeffirelli’s 1979.

Conclusions of redemption

However, Fuqua experience in the construction of conventional but potent, films his mastery in the preparation of action scenes (in this case the fighting, very well rolled which put squarely to the viewer at Madison 6.shape:round,Squard Garden in New York or Caesar Palace las Vegas as if an Assistant over the crowd were) makes the film look please contact despite the political football of its subject matter.

Contributes decisively Gyllenhaal prodigious ability to get into the character and give it nuances, coupled with the presence of lto wonderful Rachel MacAdams (its interpretation leaves a spirit that is evoked throughout the film) and always solvent Forrest Whitaker. And if as icing put some energetic songs Eminem, the result is a pleasant and enjoyable film, nothing despicable thing in the current film scene.

The best: Gyllenhall and Adams

The worst: the film is a sum of conventionalism and clichés.

NOTE: 6.5