Sparring (2017)

Steve Landry, an aging boxer with more losses than wins, accepts to become a sparring partner for an emerging champion in a last-ditch attempt to stay relevant.

Director:

Samuel Jouy

Writers:

Jérémie Guez (collaboration), Clément Roussier (collaboration)

Stars:

Mathieu Kassovitz, Olivia Merilahti, Souleymane M'Baye

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mathieu Kassovitz	...	Steve Landry
Olivia Merilahti	...	Marion Landry
Souleymane M'Baye	...	Tarek M'Barek
Billie Blain	...	Aurore Landry
Tomy Leconte	...	Oscar Landry
Lyès Salem	...	Omar
Ali Labidi	...	Ali
David Saracino	...	David
Jolente De Keersmaeker	...	Professeur de piano
Malik Bine	...	Malik
Guillaume Clemente	...	Domingo
Amir El Kacem	...	Employé Carrefour
Moïse Santamaria	...	Vigile combat
Mohamed Belhamar	...	Hocine
Zakariya Gouram	...	Collègue Steve

Storyline

Steve Landry, an aging boxer with more losses than wins, accepts to become a sparring partner for an emerging champion in a last-ditch attempt to stay relevant.

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Plot Keywords:

boxing | sparring partner | blood in urine | piano player | one word title | 

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Genres:

Drama | Sport

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Did You Know?

Trivia

Filmed in the Barrière casino in Deauville, France.

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Soundtracks

The Ballad of Michael Valentine
Performed by The Killers

User Reviews

Not a very logic one about boxing

What we see here is a loser who did odd jobs to keep his family afloat, making his poor and miserable living with his family by either a punching bag for other famous boxing stars or kept losing in his own pathetic boxing fights, earning as little as getting his minimum wages. His facial wounds were an eye-sore proof of his every boxing aftermath, and he even pissing blood when he urinated that only showed he got some internal damages to his body. Yet what we saw in this film was a guy kept chain smoking and littered cigarette butts everywhere when he finished smoking.

Was there any logic or a basic common sense in boxing? A boxer who not only smoked but chain-smoked. So except getting short breaths when he fought, his lungs could never provide him with enough oxygen. No wonder this moron kept losing fights. And every time when he lost, he smoked more to suppress his pains and loss.

This is a pathetic film about a loser without any self discipline and basic knowledge, trying so hard to be a good husband and father with pipe dreams, making his living by using his body as a punching bag. The only comfort he got was his chain smoking.

You don't have to watch it through, 'cause there's no need to waste your time, your sympathy, humanity, and compassion on morons or losers.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Japan]

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

31 January 2018 (France)

Also Known As:

Sparring

Filming Locations:

Le Havre, Seine-Maritime, France

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$165,548

Company Credits

Production Co:

Unité de Production, EuropaCorp, Canal+

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1