The Boxer (1997)
Nineteen-year-old Danny Flynn is imprisoned for his involvement with the I.R.A. in Belfast. He leaves behind his family and his sixteen-year-old girlfriend, Maggie Hamill. Fourteen years later, Danny is released from prison and returns to his old working class neighborhood to resume his life as a boxer.
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Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.
It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.
Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.
This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama
Director Jim Sheridan's The Boxer is an excellent motion picture that shows the very human face of the dark times in Northern Ireland. The imagery of how the people live in this war zone is haunting and bleak, never to be forgotten. Daniel Day-Lewis is superb in his deeply moving role and he is surrounded by an exceptional cast. Particularly outstanding is Emily Watson as Maggie, a magnificent performance that lights up the screen and warms the heart. Watson is indeed one of England's most gifted actors, perhaps the finest of our time. Her quiet beauty, brilliant eyes, and depth of humanity are simply overwhelming and watching her on screen is a powerful cinematic experience without equal. It is outrageous she is not even listed as a cast member on the IMDb first page when she was originally prominently featured as Day-Lewis' co-star. Anyone who sees this film will never forget her work here and the image she presents of loveliness, strength, and smoldering sexuality.
Danny Flynn (Daniel Day-Lewis) was imprisoned in his youth for I.R.A. involvement. He is released after 14 years. His old girlfriend Maggie Hamill (Emily Watson) is married to Danny's former best friend. He returns to his old neighborhood to a cold reception. In prison, he refused to openly support the I.R.A. but he also never named names. He wants to live life free from the political turmoil. He reopens the old boxing club allowing neighborhood kids and himself to fight in non-sectarian bouts. Maggie's father Joe Hamill (Brian Cox) is working for a ceasefire, prisoner releases, and ultimately peace. Maggie's husband is in prison and she still has conflicted feelings for her old love Flynn. When the cops show their support for the gym, I.R.A. hothead Harry (Gerard McSorley) is angered and the gym gets fired on. Later at a boxing match, police chief is killed in a car bomb which ends in chaos.The boxing is the least compelling part of the movie. This works more as a love story between DDL and Watson amidst the conflicts. This is like a slow moving romance. That part works by the simple force of will from the two lead actors. Brian Cox is fine but it would work better if he's harder on DDL. Gerard McSorley is basically doing that part for the movie. There are some great actors doing fine work but the movie doesn't add up to greatness.
As a boxer he has a reason to rebuild a life around a community-centered activity, the only one he knows. It's hard to imagine how the ultimate dramatic quality would be served were Danny a construction worker or a bartender or having virtually any other occupation. Then you have the metaphor by contrast: boxing is a warlike activity and ostensibly consistent with the conflict of the Troubles... yet it is also a supreme discipline, done well, and a perfect substitute for war where (some fools and users say) honor and greatness can be achieved....For my complete review of this movie and for other movie and book reviews, please visit my site TheCoffeeCoaster.com.Brian Wright Copyright 2009
After accomplishing masterpieces with "My Left Foot" and "In the Name of the Father", Jim Sheridan totally went in the wrong direction with "The Boxer". I don't think that the issue should be whether one views the IRA positively or negatively (this movie treats them pretty mercilessly). The issue is that, contrary to what this movie portrays, the Irish and English can't agree on things through boxing matches. And they really could have done without all the love stuff.In conclusion, Sheridan, Daniel Day-Lewis and Emily Watson have all done much better than this. I don't know why they felt that they had to do this movie.