Born and Bred (2011) User Reviews

Good stuff. A different side of the immigration struggle

[johnnashthethird · 9/10 · 12 February 2012]

Great to see serious docs like this that are made in L.A. I think I've got used to expecting anything that comes out of Los Angeles will be some gimmicky "save the dolphins" protest film.

I like how the film showed the bare-boned beginnings of kids in the sport of boxing. It certainly looked nothing like Rocky or that Lights Out show. Most of the film followed the kids and their trainers as they went to fight after fight after fight in various tournaments across the country. I never realized that as an amateur that you have to box like three or four days in a row just to win a tournament. One of the kids had over 200 fights before he turned 16! The story takes on a path of its own as the kids grow older and the strong are separated from the not so strong. I won't give away the ending, but even if I did, there's a lot of interesting "fight philosophy" that makes you understand how boxing is a pure metaphor for life.

Worth Viewing, Excellent Film

[usscouting · 9/10 · 28 October 2012]

I really enjoyed Born and Bred. The filmmaker did a great job covering a trainer of two twin boxers as well as a young fighter with a rough childhood.

It was very inspirational to see the path of the twin fighters, and gave you a good sense of the sacrifices kids go through at the youth boxing level. I also enjoyed the interviews, particular from Teddy Atlas.

I also felt the film picked up steam as it went along. I look forward to following the careers of the young fighters in this film.

This is a great film for people interested in both sports and socio- cultural documentaries.

Very original film

[gregorystudebaker · 10/10 · 11 February 2012]

I love documentary films like this. It felt a lot more "real" than most documentary films these days that use all kinds of recreated footage and fictional-style effects to try and sell you some social message.

This one just came straight from the heart of the people it was about. I thought from the trailer that it was going to be all about kids being raised to fight but there was a lot more to it. The film centers on two gyms in the same Los Angeles neighborhood but it constantly shifts among the lives of numerous boxers/trainers/parents to tell the larger story of working class immigrants struggling to make it on both a physical and spiritual level. As it unfolds, it also breakdowns the "making" of a young boxer as he goes from childhood bouts with other kids around the country to Olympic competition to the televised professional ranks.

There is a kind of ritualistic feel to the whole film as the narrator and various commentators provide a rich background of the culture of the sport and the psychological path that a boxer must take to emerge victorious. The story inspired me more on a larger level of understanding how the human mind works when it is pushed to the limit in a very real way. Overall, this is just a really original film. If you liked Hoop Dreams and When We Were Kings, you'll like this.

Cool film. Better than I expected it to be

[johnthomasharris · 10/10 · 10 February 2012]

Really cool film. I thought the subject matter was going to be really interesting, and it was, but there were a lot of narrative layers to this documentary. Most sports docs just kind of play to the stereotypes but this one really went in its own direction. It's more about a lot of different individuals trying to use boxing to create a life for themselves, both inside and outside the sport. Especially enjoyed the clips of Teddy Atlas philosophizing about boxing as a metaphor for life. They were a nice balance to the sub-culture of Mexican-American kids as it was difficult to tell how they fit into the sport as a whole.

Reminded me a bit of Hoop Dreams (except not so freaking long) and other documentaries that show the back-stories behind the big show.

Brilliantly conceived and presented, inspiring, informative, and heart-warming!

[gmsmithmd-296-183548 · 10/10 · 19 February 2012]

This brilliantly conceived and executed documentary film tells the story of disadvantaged but ambitious and talented young Latino people who are working hard to create a meaningful and rewarding future for themselves through the sport of boxing. With great sensitivity and understanding, Justin Frimmer, the film's producer, director, and writer, opens a window into a world I never knew existed, a thriving subculture in which these young boxers, some beginning at the age of seven or eight, with full support from their families and from their communities, are trained by professional trainers and coaches in well equipped facilities. The focus is twin brothers and their quest to participate in the Olympics, a captivating story presented with striking clarity and insight well supported by illuminating commentary from well respected boxing trainers and network news sports reporters in a well-paced, hard-hitting, and thoroughly engaging film. Although this is Mr. Frimmer's first major film, the film craft is creative and thoroughly professional from the framing of the segments to the solid and informative narration to the well chosen music and effective sound track. "Born and Bred" is an uplifting and stirring film well worth seeing! I came away inspired and wanting to know more about the people and the amazing world in which they live.

Real American History

[arlettewasilla · 10/10 · 10 February 2012]

I checked this film after all the publicity came out on it and because I love boxing, but this film really dug deep into my soul. Most of the movies out there about Mexican-Americans are kind of corny and make you feel like you're just supposed to watch them. With this movie, I felt some serious hardcore pride. Not only to be an American but to be the son of really hard working parents who have sacrificed their lives and instilled in me the strength to give everything I have in every fiber of my being. I know that the lives of these kids really don't mean much to a lot of people in this country, but I understand what they are going through. It's great that films like this get made. I'd like to see more and I'll definitely support them. I like how it showed all the different sides of the culture- the fighters, the gangsters, the working guys out in the streets, the religious women and the regular guys just trying to make it with their families. It reminds me why the good decisions I made were good and the bad decisions I made were bad. Never give up on your real heartfelt dreams.

Top quality documentary. Really inspirational!

[franklinrothschild · 10/10 · 8 February 2012]

Really well-made documentary. I'm amazed that I had never heard about it until I saw a link on FB and checked it out. Seems like it should have won some awards or been on prime time cable.

Anyways, it's a great story and put together in a very creative way. It not only gives a cool look inside boxers as they start out as little kids, it gives the full panorama of Latinos in this country: hustlers, gangsters, humble families, religious types and, of course, the fighters.

I really enjoyed it and I recommend it to anyone who likes smart documentaries or just inspiration films about not giving up no matter what people tell you!