Southpaw (2015)

After a fatal incident sends him on a rampant path of destruction, a champion boxer fights to get custody of his daughter and revive his professional career.

Director:

Antoine Fuqua

Writer:

Kurt Sutter

Stars:

Jake Gyllenhaal, Rachel McAdams, Oona Laurence

11 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jake Gyllenhaal	...	Billy Hope
Rachel McAdams	...	Maureen Hope
Forest Whitaker	...	Tick Wills
Oona Laurence	...	Leila Hope
50 Cent	...	Jordan Mains (as Curtis '50 Cent' Jackson)
Skylan Brooks	...	Hoppy
Naomie Harris	...	Angela Rivera
Victor Ortiz	...	Ramone
Beau Knapp	...	Jon Jon
Miguel Gomez	...	Miguel 'Magic' Escobar
Dominic Colón	...	Mikey
Jose Caraballo	...	Eli Frost
Malcolm M. Mays	...	Gabe
Aaron Quattrocchi	...	Keith 'Buzzsaw' Brady
Lana Young	...	Gloria

Storyline

Billy Hope (played by Jake Gyllenhaal) is the undisputed light-heavyweight boxing champion of the world. He is unbeaten over a career of 43 fights. He is happily married to beautiful Maureen (Rachel McAdams) and has a young daughter, Leila (Oona Laurence). His life seems perfect, but then, during a fracas with a rival boxer, his wife is shot and killed. They had known each other since they were 12 years old, and now the bottom has fallen out of his world. The death of his wife sends Billy into a downward spiral, resulting in him being barred from professional boxing for a year, the loss of his house and almost all his possessions and, most painfully, the loss of his daughter to the custody of Social Services. In order to gain back his daughter and restart his life, he seeks out a particular trainer, Tick Wills (Forest Whitaker). Now he is starting his life again, at the bottom.

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Plot Keywords:

boxing ring | death of wife | male nudity | boxing training | rage | 

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Taglines:

Believe In Hope.

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language throughout, and some violence

Did You Know?

Trivia

Jeff Wincott auditioned for the film.

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Goofs

The bell rings when the referee is counting 9 and Miguel is saved from a KO. In reality, once the referee starts the 10 count, the bell cannot save you (WBF rule #4.6). But Escobar was already up before the ten count. The 'Saved by the bell' said by the commentator is merely an opinion that if the bell wasn't rung Escobar couldn't have survived another hit from Billy.

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Quotes

Miguel 'Magic' Escobar: Your bitch isn't here to save you now.

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Connections

References The Great White Hope (1970)

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Soundtracks

Wicked Games
Written by The Weeknd (as Abel Tesfaye), Doc McKinney, Illangelo (as Carlo Montagnese) and Rainer Millar-Blanchaer (as Rainer Blanchaer)
Performed by The Weeknd
Courtesy of Republic Records
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises

User Reviews

Jake Gyllenhaal's performance is a southpaw that goes straight to the heart

We can always criticize Hollywood for bringing movies that are intended to toss some smoke to the viewer by presenting something new with repeated formulas and recycled plots we have seen somewhere else before. The same goes for "Southpaw"... apart from the fact that there's something more lying inside this story about a boxer's redemption. The answer to it is the trust it puts into the strength of its actors and the gripping emotions that come with it.

There's a little sparkle that starts to light up inside of us during the very first minutes of the movie. And even if we barely have the time to see Gyllenhaal and McAdams' characters, we didn't need more because we were instantly dragged towards an emotional charge that never abandons the plot and whose "legacy" is carried on the main actor's shoulders.

Gyllenhaal doesn't skip a beat and keeps his character's pain and rage constantly vivid in every detail - we feel it because we've somewhat experienced in our lives what it means to lose someone we love and feel lost afterward. We felt the struggle coming after the loss of a bond as strong as that one. That's why his performance is relentless and immaculate.

Truth is that the genuine side of "Southpaw"'s plot is based on the main character's fall and his irreproachable route to stand up again, reach the top once more. Only this time, the fight has completely changed and the goals are different, goals that make us question what we really fight for in our life.

You already know this story but not told under these terms. Hollywood has crafted good flicks about fighters/boxers in the last few years and "Southpaw" follows a line that is close to the more recent "Warrior", starring Joel Edgerton and Tom Hardy due to its "underdog" screenplay. What makes this movie different from the rest is the ineluctable emotion that never departs and befalls us, stirring and stirring our inner feelings.

We don't always need to criticize a movie for its predictability. "Southpaw" is predictable but it's also honest in assuming itself as such because its purpose - and I believe, Antoine Fuqua's purpose - is to divert our attention towards something more meaningful. And when a movie pierces the bone to reach our heart and soul with this impact, then it deserves our respect and acknowledgment.

"Southpaw" is, quite simply, liberating.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

Hong Kong USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 July 2015 (USA)

Also Known As:

Southpaw

Filming Locations:

Indiana University of Pennsylvania - IUP Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex, Indiana, Pennsylvania, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$16,701,294, 26 July 2015

Gross USA:

$52,421,953

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$91,970,827

Company Credits

Production Co:

Escape Artists, Fuqua Films, Riche Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

124 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1