Hollywood Deep

“Resurrecting the Champ”, with Samuel Jackson and Josh Harnett looks very interesting. Jackson plays an ex championship boxer, who is punch drunk and homeless on the street. Harnett plays a reporter who finds him and brings him back into the public eye.
I’m always a sucker for sports themed movies, especially films that revolve around boxing. My favorite movie of all time is Martin Scorsese’s “Raging Bull”. The film featuring Robert DeNiro as Jake LaMotta, is clearly the best sports movie ever. Next on the list for me was a more recent release, that also was based on a boxers life. Ron Howard’s “Cinderella Man”, based on the life of Heavyweight Champ James J. Braddock, was superb. “Resurrecting the Champ”, will not approach those films. The quality of the acting seems to be there, Samuel Jackson, playing the down and out boxer, has been reviewed as an Oscar quality performance. Jackson, who is always very good in any role, perfects a sort of hoarse voiced tone and realistic make up, transformed Jackson completely into this character.
This film is worth seeing, just for Jackson’s performance. Throw in fine actors Alan Alda and Josh Harnett, and this is and interesting actors piece. Summer movie goers be warned, it’s not high action adventure, not a thrill a minute type of film. It’s not slapstick comedy, it’s a movie that takes some thought and patience. I’m rooting for Jackson and this film, it’s based on a true story, and an issue that continues to happen in the sport. Punch drunk fighters who were once kings of the world, and then fall to the lowest levels of society, is always interesting subject matter for a movie. All the great boxing movies have had this story thread, “Raging Bull”, “Rocky”, “Cinderella Man”.

Technorati Tags: “Resurrecting the Champ”, Samuel Jackson, Josh Harnett, Martin Scorsese’s “Raging Bull”, Robert DeNiro, Jake LaMotta, Ron Howard’s “Cinderella Man”, Heavyweight Champ James J. Braddock, Alan Alda, “Raging Bull”, “Rocky”, “Cinderella Man”