In the life of a boxer there is a drama, but he gets the chance to fix everything with one fight, in which no one expects anything from him. How many times have we seen a story like this? Suffice it to recall "Rocky" - the best film in the genre of sports about boxers. Pretty much the same story. How many sequels does Rocky have? And every movie is about the same thing: nothing is impossible for a person motivated to fix his life. Admittedly, these are not movies that are boring. Firstly, they motivate, and secondly, they show that even if everything is bad in your life, then it can be even worse for someone.
Although these films are not boring, they no longer seem interesting. Yes, if this is your first film about a boxer, then most likely you will experience a storm of emotions when watching, but the same “Rocky” is clearer to a simple layman. He had problems that everyone could understand. And as for the main character of "Left-handed," you have to try to get in that ass. The fall on the social ladder is given more than two-thirds of the timekeeping.
Despite all of the above, I liked the film. First of all, I liked the metamorphosis happening with the main character, which is an unconditional merit of Jake Gyllenhaal. The character himself is not very close to me in character, but well understood. His anger, which destroyed his whole life, and his efforts to cope with it are conveyed very easily. So I personally empathized with the main character.
The atmosphere of sports, arena, half-naked girls with signs is not very interesting to me, but when the hero was on the social bottom, the atmosphere of poor American neighborhoods had a positive effect on my perception of the film.
Not remarkable, not the first (Rocky) and not the last (Creed) film in its genre, became another, but a good drama with a great actor in the lead role.
6 out of 10
Gyllenhaal can pull out probably any movie, even the most mediocre and entirely out of clichés like this. And not about boxing, not about juvenile justice, not about love and not about friendship. They pulled the stamps of the beaten and different, and call you like "new" movie & # 128527; You can watch only inexperienced viewers, the film is kind, with family values and a sports theme, and does not teach bad things. Antoine Fuqua has some great works, like "Training Day" with Hawke, or "The Great Equalizer," which are much better plot, and not as predictable as this one.
Truth be told, not the best boxing and/or redemption movie. This is not Rocky, let alone Mad Bull. But somehow, being predictable, Fuqua did this old-fashioned trick again. The end you can predict initially, but there is an opportunity to enjoy the journey.
We see a champion at the top of the boxing world, but he later faces tragedy and then spends the rest of the film trying to embark on a path of self-discovery through many hardships and reclaim the title in a final fight against an impressive opponent. Another example of a fighter going off the tracks but coming back to make the audience have fun. Also, they did not forget to include the good old training montage. It’s not “Eye of the Tiger” or “You're the Best” by Joe Esposito. And under the grinding recitative of Slim Shady himself, aka Eminem. It is logical that the movie fell into all the clichés of the genre and pays so much attention to Gyllenhaal, but it does not disappoint at all.
Other actors such as Forest Whitaker, Fifti St and little Oona Lawrence combine the story. Of course, each of them is a stereotype, but the relationship, either very tense or platonic, and very well contribute to the development of Billy, which reflects many legendary representatives of martial arts. Here we witness a fighter fail to realize that it is time to stop, eventually losing his legacy and family. Mike Tyson, Fedor Emelianenko and Roy Jones (there are cameos). It is a pity that only in the movies you can return to the peak of your form and regain lost positions.
The main antagonist is overly expressive, i.e., elevated to the absolute and on re-watching even reminded me of Conor McGregor. All this thrash current that Billy eventually succumbs to signals that the main confrontation is yet to come. It's a confrontation with yourself.
A fairly simple and understandable story, but the directorial style of Antoine Fuqua and the excellent acting make “Left” a must-see for every fan of sports dramas.
We have seen more than one sports drama about boxing, and almost all of them were fit. Lefties are no exception. This is a well-directed drama about the difficult fate of Biliya Hope. Billy himself is not a simple person, this is not a kind man, but a quite harsh, sometimes very hot-tempered fighter. Life becomes cruel to him and the hero has to change himself so that everything does not get worse. Bilia is ambiguous, the attitude to it can change in the course of the plot.
The plot of the picture is simple, but not ordinary. The film shows that for the sake of victory over circumstances, a person must defeat himself, his complexes. The struggle of Billy Hope with external problems is shown as qualitatively as the struggle with internal problems. Cinema can break a tear, it is primarily a drama about people, not stupid fights, cinema has no priorities in terms of gender of the viewer.
In the film, cool music, a pleasant picture, fights are shown very spectacularly and believably.
It is also worth noting Jake Gyllenhaal in the lead role - he is a wonderful actor who was intensively preparing for this role, the image of Billy is truly courageous, but also tragic.
Bottom line: this is a good strong drama, whose plot may touch you, but is unlikely to leave indifferent.
It is especially recommended for those who are hooked by David O. Russell's "Fighter" or "Knockdown" with Russell Crowe.
The story of how at the peak of his career, boxer Billy Hope loses his wife in the light of tragic events and slides to the bottom. The task of a boxing film is to show how a person finds himself in difficult situations, prevails over himself and comes out the winner. This is exactly what happens ' Left-handed'.
We need to be prepared to spend a lot of time getting to know Hope, his family, the moments when he is going through tragedy, going down and losing his team and coach. The combat component, direct training and fights in the ring are several times less. Director Antoine Fuqua often works with stories that have a lot of drama, but it is not always possible to make a strong film. In the case of ' Left-handed' there is a similar situation in which the director tries to make the viewer believe in the real tragedy that Hope is experiencing. Used many times proven techniques and they do not decorate the picture, as you want. Take the film 'Fighter' (2010). There is a completely ordinary story, but how it is multifaceted and verified that after watching you want to quit everything and run to train for boxing lessons. In Left-handed, you can only enjoy the original and beautiful picture.
The sad thing is that Hope is pretty dumb. After the death of his wife, he not only loses his career, but also part with his savings and home. The love of living on a large foot is deplorable for him. Although we know that everything was run by his wife, she also offered to leave the sport, stop fighting and devote time to home. But if there is so much debt in the family, at the first difficulty Hope is abandoned by the environment and he loses almost all of his property. So his wife was pretty stupid. The whole movie is made of such ridiculous little things.
Another point is that director Antoine Fuqua still manages to make these trifles look more like a flaw than a blatant failure and therefore do not cause irritation. A certain artificiality of what is happening helps to reveal Jake Gyllenhaal and even looks great Forest Whitaker as a coach. Although important moments in the switchings of Hope and his coach are not as much as we would like. Here you wonder that with a very passable performance on the plot, Antoine Fuqua perfectly levels and turns the story, after watching which only positive emotions remain. You need to be able to combine such obvious unsuccessful elements with winning ones. Therefore, by the end of the story and especially the final fight is perceived very positively, as surprisingly in the film, in addition to the banal elements, there are new ones that have not been previously used.
8 out of 10
A marathon of films with Jake Gyllenhaal. Lefty. A boy and a man.
Before we talk about 2015’s Sowpath, I suggest going back nine years to 2006. The film Brokeback Mountain was released worldwide. And immediately what arises in the mind of the average viewer is that the main characters are gay. A film about two tenderly loving (without irony) each other shepherds, became the object of numerous parodies, and Peter Griffin of Family Guy even dedicated the main characters to the song. In a strange way, it was this song that inspired me to watch Brokeback Mountain. And Heath Ledger. And this movie didn’t really hook me, it was the case when they say “I looked and forgot.” There are more interesting films about gay love, in my opinion. But the most famous remains this one. What am I getting at? Heath Ledger's film partner was Jake Gyllenhaal. And if Heath broke into the lists of greatest actors two years later, thanks to stories about his scars and the phrase “Why so serious?”, Jake Gyllenhaal for many years remained for me “the dude from Brokeback Mountain” and even Prince Dastan could not shake my confidence.
Before watching the movie "The Left."
It is after this film that I am ready to subscribe to every phrase of the fans that Gyllenhaal is an actor from God, selflessly getting used to his roles. So, meet Billy Hope. “Hope” in Russian means “hope”. Playing words in this field the first minutes will be at the level of, God forgive me, the musical “Moulin Rouge” and the words “love”. Billy is 43 years old, and although he behaves quite restrained and not without irony in the interview, immediately after him, in response to an obvious provocation, demands from his manager (played by the famous rapper 50 cent) to arrange a fight with a mockery. Like a hot-tempered 16-year-old, a cockerel. This is what Billy looks like at the beginning of the story. His happiness that next to him was a wise and balanced beautiful wife (Rachel McAdams) and a smart daughter. And just 25 minutes after the start of the tape, the finale of the first act emotionally squeezes the viewer dry. The scene lasts five minutes, but the emotions are enough for the eyes. And then there's what writer Mark Manson calls "real traumatic shit." Billy’s house and daughter are taken away, he is deprived of the opportunity to do what he loves, the manager and coach leave him, and Hope has nothing left but to go to the mentor of the only person who, according to the main character, was able to defeat him.
Motivational films or “motivashki”, as I call them, are very popular among the people. Briefly, pathetically and truthfully, they give us strength. There are social motivators ("Treasure, Pay Another, Chasing Happiness) and sports ones (I can immediately call The Man Who Changed Everything, The Fastest Indian, Rocky, and Mad Bull). “Left” combines both this and that subgenre. The sports conflict is whether Billy will return to the sport and take revenge on his opponent with the voice of the British Dr. Watson in the Russian dubbing, for the death of his wife. Social - will Billy bring her beloved daughter back from the hands of the guardianship? If you’re a fan of this kind of movie, you already know the answers to these questions. But what matters here is not so much the result as the process of becoming, of turning from a boy into a man. I can quite imagine how behind the scenes the hero of Forrest Whitaker named Tick Wills quotes the main character George Martin: “Kill the boy within you, Billy Hope, and let a man be born.” And for a reason, Billy goes to train where they do not teach to achieve fame, but give the opportunity to grow up. For a long time he was on the emotional level of Lightning McQueen, not King, which was considered.
Whitaker's character is an interesting figure. He is a mentor, but not the classic type of “Obi-wan Kenobi”, but as the hero of Nick Nolty from the film “Peaceful Warrior”. It is rough, but the heart is golden.
And for a reason, Billy goes to train with him, where they do not teach to achieve fame, but give the opportunity to grow up. For a long time, Billy was on the emotional level of Lightning McQueen, not King, as he was considered. But Tick Wills is not perfect, as is customary with mentors. And interestingly, he realizes this and passes the lesson along with the protagonist. “I tell the kids a lot of shit, just crazy. " It's gonna be okay. You control your life. You control it, you control it. [But in fact] You don't control shit! That makes me like him. That he's not Obi-wan, but he's not the trickster coach from Kill Bill 2. He's alive.
So is Billy's daughter, Layla. Smart, brave, real. In some ways she is even stronger than her father, I hope that this young actress will have a successful career.
For every McQueen Lightning, there's a Chico Hicks. Here, his name is Miguel Escobar. The boy is no smaller than Billy at the beginning of the film, and even with rottenness, like Chico. What I don't like is that he's a "bad guy" with no light shade. On the Rotten Tomatoes right below the rating there is a block Critics Consensus, in which the film is accused of cliche. You can argue with this, we can agree, but in the cliche of the antagonist I do not doubt.
Well, actually, Jake Gyllenhaal. At the time of writing, this is his best, most poignant role. Surprisingly, he does not even have an Oscar nomination for it. If Billy Hope were a real historical figure, it is not known for certain, but it is played vividly. And this is my unloved type: a reckless bully. I only liked this character in one movie. In which such a “hooligan” played Vladimir Mayakovsky. But Gyllenhaal's character is changing. By the end of the fight, he's not what he used to be. Arrogance, impulsiveness subdued. Billy does a lot of things before he wins, both over the enemy and himself. But how many tears were wept before this victory, how many rude antics and words were said and done! It is not known how Eminem would play this role, but the work of Gyllenhaal (and the part-time actor that duplicated him) is fascinating and exciting.
And there is a delightful Rachel McAdams, whose character in another, less talented actress would have turned out to be a plot move, a doll on the hinge.
I do not dare to judge the technical side of the question, because I do not understand boxing. I was interested in the development of the hero. And I got a pretty good example of going from a mental boy to a mature person with the right priorities. I'm glad there are such films. For the antagonist only:
Many dramatic boxing films have already been made, many of them based on real events. To be honest, I enjoy watching these films, because I like the themes of sports, such films really show overcoming yourself through all sorts of obstacles in life, from the smallest to the biggest life upheavals. And of course, it is very interesting to watch how the actor prepared physically for his role, how seriously he approached training, and how realistic the film put fights and shows training.
Jake Gyllenhaal, who played boxer Billy Hope, a very talented versatile actor, has never seen how he fits into each of his roles, regardless of what character he plays, the feelings, emotions and experiences of his hero he always manages to convey at the highest level. Speaking about this film, here, in addition to the dramatic image, he had to do a lot of physical work and survive the transformation of his body (especially in preparation for the film, he studied the boxing style of Miguel Cotto). I was amazed by his excellent physical form (I always like to talk, if there is a desire and incentive, you can achieve anything, especially if you do what you love).
Deeply delving into the essence of his character, his family, you understand that the support, voice of reason is his wife performed by the inimitable and beautiful Rachel McAdams, despite her very small role in the film and, despite the terrible tragedy, she was a very pleasant semantic addition to the film, she was the support, hope, stimulus and motivation of Billy, he listened to her, thanks to her, Billy held on, he managed to maintain a positive fighting spirit, in fact, she arranged the life of Billy and their daughter.
After the tragedy, Billy’s life went down very sharply, without a wife, he was just a beaten boxer who can not even organize his life. And only the struggle for custody of his daughter made him live and strive to change himself. In this he was helped by boxing coach Thicke performed by Forest Whitaker. I think this actor does not have bad roles and he also took this role quite seriously.
Separate ball for Soundtrack performed by Eminem.
The atmosphere of the film is conveyed at a good level, as is the staging of fights, including training.
Fans of sports dramas are recommended to watch, well, or just those who want to have a good evening watching a good dramatic film.
8 out of 10
Another sports drama, Man had everything, lost everything, but was able to get back on his feet. As usual, not without the help of an old coach, part-time spiritual mentor.
As for me, snot-touching moments are too many and very long. Dialogues and meaningful dramatic episodes could be made more interesting (the scenes of the trial and meetings with the daughter are of course an exception, which are perfectly made), so this is more entertaining than something serious that you will think about after watching.
Jake Gyllenhaal - not bad, in his usual style of cool handsome. Separately stand out scenes where the main character begins to dull, literally feel that the guy can not figure out what is happening and what to do. There are few such moments, but it is in them that you can understand the character - except for boxing, a person knows nothing else. Here, yes, the game is great.
Not ordinary for this genre and the approach of the creators to antiheroes. “Evil” is personified here, of course, but there is no special emphasis on this – the same people, just a different character and their own interests. The film is more about fighting yourself than it actually deserves attention.
6 out of 10
Life is challenging each of us. Someone gets more, someone less, but the experience of overcoming these adversities is postponed by the foundation for the strongest human qualities.
Jake Gyllenhaal plays Billy Hope - professional boxer, light heavyweight champion. He is ferocious and invincible, has the peculiarity of missing a lot of shots, and the more his face is covered with blood, the closer the knockout moment is for the opponent.
However, the main character began to get injured much earlier, and I am not talking about bruises and abrasions. Billy grew up in an orphanage, as did his wife Maureen (Rachel McAdams). Hand in hand they went through painful trials and now they have so much, and their main jewel is the daughter of Leila, performed by a young actress Una Lawrence.
From the first minutes, we see how aggressive Hope is in everything: in combat style, manner of behavior, communication with others. But in his eyes there is absolutely no meanness inherent in many rivals, competitors, and even assistants from the team. In Hope’s eyes you can see only one thing – love for the holiest thing he has – family. Billy Hope is a predator who was raised by cruelty and injustice of life circumstances, ready to bite the throats in defense of his family to anyone, be it the devil himself.
The plot and idea of the film is based on the fact that, not without his own mistakes, under the influence of anger, Billy Hope begins to lose absolutely everything. The inciting provocation by the enemy, who wanted to take away the glory of the champion, led to the most terrible thing - the loss of his wife.
Despite the presence (not sufficiently disclosed in my opinion) of the antihero and provocateur in the film, the main negative character is Billy Hope himself, or rather his aggressive and uncontrollable side of character, sweeping everything in its path, which in turn was played by Gyllenhaal very convincingly.
The role of coach, mentor and psychologist was taken over by Forest Whitaker. His character was a very significant appearance in Billy’s life, but for some reason he did not cause particularly vivid sympathy, but his role was shadowy, perhaps it was necessary.
The sweat and blood in the ring, the dusty boxing halls that motivate Billy’s workouts to the Eminem soundtrack look great. I can’t say that every round in the filmed fights makes you frantically worried about the hero, but all the beauty of this sport was realistically transferred to the screen.
In general, this is a story about strong characters and broken fates, about love and aggression, about how unbearable life can be, and how important it is to appreciate, and most importantly to understand what you need to appreciate what you still have. Such stories leave no one indifferent. This movie is not about boxing, it's about life.
"The Left" is a purely boyish film. About violent. No, what about? There are all those symbols and archetypes that are accepted by modern Russian boy culture. There is a “bratzabrata”, there is a “beloved woman who died”, there is a “feeling of guilt”, there is a “responsibility for the family”, there is every primitive philosophic slag about the desire for fame, the desire to be the best and bend everyone. And then through it to pay and fix everything, when it would seem that all is lost. Who is violent, you are violent!
Standard story, in a word. I don't know who I was looking at. I’ve seen all this human tragedy, but in a more human way, in the movie Cinderella Man (aka “Knockdown” in translation of our brains). And Russell Crowe’s hero looks more human than Jake Gyllenhaal’s. And the accents in that movie are somehow more correct than in this one. Because Cinderella Man, unlike Slavik Man, is an ordinary family man, a caring husband and father. A strategist and master of his destiny. And he found himself in a desperate situation not by his stupidity, but by the will of circumstances - the Great Depression grinded more than one thousand fates in those days.
In fact, on the game of Gyllenhaal and holds all this format sports film.
Something else I forgot to mention... Oh, yeah! Contemporary gender equality theme... The relationship of Glavhero with his daughter... And this is a stupid distribution of gender roles: a stupid gorilla-daddy and a wise, intelligent young daughter. And he goes out of his way to get her loyalty. And this disgusting modern morality: “Earlier, my mother planned everything for us, and I was only able to beat my faces in the ring, I’m a stupid cormorant from an orphanage. Oy! How to live now! You are so wise beyond your years! Now you will decide for us.
Oh, my gosh! A ten-year-old girl as the centering beginning of a stupid infantile dad. And he himself is a limited jerk with no abilities and definite goals in life. Well, even a distant background - a slim Negroid grandmother from the guardianship. So what? Is that the “steel character” of modern Rocky? Is he even worth looking up to? Let him go to such a mother...
The plot is quite simple in this sports drama. From the ashes you will be reborn and you will be able to do anything in this life. But this does not deprive the film of energy, which is transmitted to the viewer. A beautiful sound written by Eminem, a beautiful work by Jake Gelinhall and an incredible girl named Una Lawrence. And, of course, Antoine Faqua, the creator of such films as “Training Day”, “The Great Equalizer”, “The Shooter” and most recently “The Magnificent Seven”.
You know, there was such a great fighter, Billy Hope. And he had everything, fame, money, friends, a daughter and a beautiful muse wife. “Life beats harder than any rival.” In an instant, he loses everything and becomes nothing. Falling is always difficult, but it is even harder to get up, shake off the mud and go forward! And you know, it's standard and simple, but there's something about this movie. Something very good and powerful that makes you not take your eyes off the screen and look, look. Feeling every punch and winning with Billy. The incredibly touching communication of a father and daughter is a hallmark of this film. These scenes were like little bits going through me. They are filled with such emotions that it is amazing to watch. Jake is so great in this role, I just think. You know, I love this amazing actor and every movie he makes proves to me how good he is!
8 out of 10
General impression: A wonderful film about strength of mind, about striving and achieving your goal. No matter how life breaks you, you need to get up and go on, otherwise you will bend under the press, even so - you will be bent rather.
Excellent sports drama + quality boxing scenes. Very instructive tape, well shows how easily things can change. But how do you get back to life? Defeat yourself? There are losses that people cannot overcome.
The boxer Billy Hope everything was fine: the title of champion, beautiful wife and beloved daughter. But fortune turns away from him: under tragic circumstances, his beloved wife dies, disqualification in the ring, zero income, the court deprives him of parental rights. Hope must defend the title of champion and return his daughter. Does Hope have a chance to win? His famous left hook will decide.
Jake Gyllenhaal (Billy Hope), prepared perfectly for the role, you can see that it took more than one day of training! He plays amazingly, it feels like he’s not playing, he’s living this role! Such amazing emotions, applause! In the hero I admired courage, strength of spirit. Get everything he lost at any cost. I felt sorry and tears flowed.
Rachel McAdams (Moreen Hope), beloved wife of the boxer. Ah, what a sad twist... Pain is the worst thing on earth. I'm talking about mental pain. One that is difficult to treat with medicine or simply forget. Rachel, played a loving woman, just love a man and he will move mountains.
I think the film is suitable for all viewers. My assessment is unquestionably
Left-handed is a sports drama with thriller elements from director Antoine Fuqua. In my opinion, this work was the best for him, since the crime thriller “Training Day”, which was a really powerful film and even allowed Denzel Washington to win his second Oscar. As for “Left”, here Fuqua tried himself in an atypical sports genre for him, although the plot of the film is quite standard, if not template.
Famous boxer Billy Hope for ten years holds the title of great champion, he has a beautiful wife and a smart daughter. But once everything goes to hell, luck turns away from the boxer both in the ring and in life. And he has to start from scratch. Quite a standard such fixture for films about boxing, in general, the whole plot of the film as a whole is template. But at the same time, there is no need to complain.
Due to its simplicity, the storyline remains clear until the end of the credits. You don’t have to wrestle with explanations of some incredible plot twists, because they’re simply not there. Nevertheless, the film looks quite cheerful and pleasant, because all these standard scenes and dramatic patterns, the director squeezes one hundred percent. And this is done due to the really cool production and corporate style of shooting, which have Antoine Fuqua and his friend-operator Mauro Fiore.
I like their way of shooting – close-ups of faces and gestures, a camera hanging behind the heroes’ backs that follows their every step. All this gives the picture an easy touch of documentary, thanks to which you really immerse yourself and believe in what is happening on the screen.
Fights in the ring are also very well staged - here you and entertainment, and dynamism, and the excellent use of such mundane artistic techniques as slow-mo, and scattered in all directions drops of sweat after slapping. Plus, the entertainment did not prevent the fights from being realistic. Lovers of boxing should not be annoyed.
I think Lefty is very similar to the famous Knockdown with Russell Crowe in the title role. The plot is really secondary and in many ways copies the story of the character of Russell Crowe. But it's not fatal, although "Left" I liked better.
Left-handed can be annoying, of course, but I think only those who have already watched a bunch of boxing movies, because the authors use quite worn-out script cliches. Again, the methods of the hero’s revival are repeated, when he is in full ass and suddenly begins to train hard, run and generally make all sorts of success, because motivating music played against the background.
Fuqua is a pretty talented guy, and I think he made the most of the story. But fans of the genre are unlikely to be happy with the clichéd story that has already been seen a thousand times. Fuqua, of course, does not cease to surprise me - he once again makes tolerable candy from banal plots. One of the last movies where he did the same is The Great Equalizer, a primitive action movie, but Fuqua is so cool at putting action and fight scenes that it starts to capture and cover up the discontent from the secondary plot.
Actually. After Fuqua, the most powerful engine of this film is still acting. Despite all the experience of the director, it was the actors who allowed you to squeeze the most out of almost every scene., make this standard story with a bunch of template scenes a good film.
Of course, Jake Gyllenhaal deserves special praise, who really drags the entire film from beginning to end. Apparently, Jake belongs to the kind of actors whose age is good for them. After his role in Stringer, and now in Left, I stopped seeing him as a second-tier actor playing all sorts of bad guys. Jake’s performance in this movie is really rabid, frenetic and just unrealistically cool. In each scene, he reveals the image of his character one hundred percent, and thanks to this, the rebirth of Billy Hope looks in one breath.
Also worth noting is the young Oona Lawrence, who played the daughter of a boxer. It is not often you see a child who will give a head start to many famous actors with his acting. In “Left” the little actress dragged almost on par with Gyllenhaal. In general, the work of the cast caused only positive emotions in me.
To sum it up, “The Left” is a normal movie. With great acting, with impeccable directing and good musical accompaniment. Despite such a primitive story, it is as well shot as possible. But I still felt a sense of secondaryness while watching the film.
I don’t like violent sports and I’m more than cool with movies. In order to impress me, the film has to work hard.
So why did I see this picture and for what merits did I appreciate it so highly?
The reason I couldn't miss the movie was Rachel McAdams. I love this actress very much, I watch all her works and I just couldn’t miss Lefty.
The plot of the film is completely ordinary. The world boxing champion at the top of his career suddenly loses the most precious thing - his wife Maureen. As they say, everything went to hell. The career is over, the daughter was taken by the social service, there was absolutely no money left for existence. And the main character decides to return everything at all costs. Defend your career, yourself and your daughter.
The actors did their job at 5+.
The main character is Billy “The Great” Hope (Jake Gyllenhaal). Oh, he's so good. Great game! What a body! The training was not in vain.
Maureen (Rachel McAdams) Billy's loving wife. Rachel in the film was not enough, but still she played great!
Titus "Tick" Wills (Forest Whitaker) Former boxer and new coach Billy. Forest has no bad roles and this film is no exception.
It's very realistic. The fights are shown brutally and bloodyly. Excellent camera work.
Well, it is impossible not to mention the soundtrack from Eminem. Without further ado, he is excellent.
And what we end up with is this great sports movie. I advise everyone to watch, you will not regret it.
9 out of 10
I did not have the chance to go to the premiere screening of “Levsha” in cinemas, after which, I still somehow did not dare to watch it, but I heard a lot of good reviews, someone told me that he let a tear (it was a girl). Yesterday I decided, got there and looked. Surprisingly for me, the film was very simple and the most surprising thing was that it was emotionless. Yes, the most stormy drama unfolded on the screen, but all this somehow did not catch on, I don’t even know why, because the actors seemed to play well and everything was not bad. For some comparison, I want to add that while watching another film called “The Pursuit of Happiness”, I really worried about the relationship between father and son, for their family, I was imbued with viewing from and to, although there and did not bring to the utter despair of our hero, but nevertheless, this despair and struggle for life, for justice, for family, is shown much better. Billy Hope, a native of the orphanage, who managed to overcome all the difficulties of life and its hardships, eventually achieved unthinkable heights, he earns well, he has a beautiful, loving wife and the most important thing - wise - she is his support, eyes and ears, his guide, because Hope does not know how to do anything in his life independently, except how to go to the breach and beat his head into the wall - this is his trump card, he wins, because he is a titled boxer. In addition, they have a beautiful daughter and everything seemed to never remind him of those days when he was an ordinary street child, having nothing behind his soul.
But everything changes one night. When after another conference, a fight breaks out between Hope and his rival in the sport, after which there is a numerous brawl in which everyone fights, then a shot is heard, but no one knows who shot, but this stray shot turned out to be cancerous for Hope's wife, who was nearby, she dies. After all this, Hope will roll down a sloped ladder, drink, smoke, smell, get into an accident, roughly speaking, slowly die in despair and depression, because with his wife, everything that made him a man died. He is not even able to care for his young daughter, Hope is on the verge of death, everyone turned away from him. The death of his wife remains a secret of the investigation, there is no guilt, since there is no evidence and this surprised me very much, does this really happen? was it impossible to get justice under the circumstances under which Hope's wife died?
The essence of the film is that a man broke down and he needs to rise up, restore his reputation and prove that he can. But the question that remained open to me was, should Hope have avenged the death of his wife to the alleged killer or the culprit of that night? In my opinion, given Hope's psychology, after his wife's death, he had to do one of two things to look up and stay a man. In the first case, he had to take a gun and finish the case with his abuser no matter what, then the death of his wife would not have been in vain and she would have been avenged in full, but in this case there would have been a sad outcome for his daughter, since our hero would have been put in prison. Well, in the second case, he had to leave the big sport, as requested by his wife, having no debts, he would take up another job, raise his daughter and it would be difficult morally, but over time the wound would heal, it would be a more courageous act. But our hero didn't think about anything, he just fell down a slope. And at the end of the film, I still don't know what he's done, what's going to happen next? What and to whom he proved? except that to himself, that he was able to survive on his own, but is this the most important thing for a man at 43, when you had everything? Yes, he pulled the “broken ridge” with bandages tighter to look decent, but the back is broken... what awaits Hope for the final credits, one can only guess.
7 out of 10
A friend recommended this film to me. However, I do not recommend watching it. Why?
My favorite movie, or even a boxer series, is Rocky Balboa.
Those who have seen these wonderful films know that the film has a soul. The main character himself is a man of strong spirit, loving, sensible.
In the movie “Left”, the protagonist is very difficult to empathize with. And it's not just about his storyline, it's about the whole movie.
All conflicts are by the ears. A series of bad turns should make the viewer sympathize with the hero, but this does not happen. We don't know him that well! Yes, he has a rich mansion, he has a beautiful wife, daughter, money, fame ... But what kind of person he is, we never have time to tell.
During the conversation with the coach, it becomes clear that he is a clumsy person. In the future, he moves toward revenge, which will give him comfort.
It's more like a bright wrapper without candy. And watching fights and training to music without empathy for the character is not the most entertaining activity.
I’m not going to be hypocritical and I’ll say right away, I’m sympathetic that Gilenhaal, that Fuqua and this film was a very profitable collaboration for both. Antoine Fuqua is doing well enough, one picture was brighter than another and after “The Great Equalizer” he managed to reach a higher level in a year, pshik, by directorial standards. Now we know he's going to stumble on the Magnificent Eight, but at the time of 2015 it was great. Jay Gilenhaal is already making his way to the fight for the Oscars, so he tries to play complex character roles. Let me guess, all the criticism of the film and the fact that it was not nominated for any significant awards boils down to template? I wouldn't say that, but let's focus on that.
Sports cinema is a very unusual genre and films about football, baseball, American football and similar games are doomed to have a rather narrow audience in advance. You can't say anything about boxing. Even a person who is poorly versed in the intricacies of the industry can quite understand and fairly objectively evaluate the picture. But there is a spoonful of tar in this commercial barrel of honey: the film “Warrior” (2011) has become the benchmark of sports drama, compared to which any sports film, what to hide, and “Left” too, looks pale. Well, no one promised easy life, competition is competition.
As for the film itself, I really liked it, both technically and conceptually. I think it’s worth thanking Antoine Fuqua for the contrast between the vivid and emotional scenes in the official boxing ring, where the intensity sometimes leads to inhumanity. The other side of the coin is life outside of sport. I think we could make a separate film about this, the oppressive hopeless atmosphere, and the system of the bureaucratic state of the United States that pours fuel into the fire, all this leads to a kind of parable about controlling one’s life, which has its own, independent cultural value. This whole idea is supported by a very interesting camera work, which pampered us with an unusual composition of the frame. Separately, we should talk about music. I know not everyone likes rap, and I’m compromising on it, but let the person who decides that the soundtrack doesn’t complement the overall atmosphere of the film throw a stone at me. Oh, there is a separate, rather unusual topic here.
Let's be honest, there are many cases where white characters are played by African-Americans or African-Europeans. You can find a lot of videos on the Internet dedicated to this, I will not analyze it in detail. I want to say something else, it seems that in “Left” we see the opposite process. Just imagine if this whole thing happened to an African American? This would not alleviate the suffering of the hero, but the viewer, succumbing to prejudice, would consider this story typical. Although the fact that the hero could be an Afro-Amerakan, there are several hints. The hero of Gyllenhaal spends about 2/3 of the film in the society of African Americans and not him, they do not have any suspicions and prejudices about it. That's great, but it's too good to be true. Unfortunately, our world is arranged in such a way that at least once, the topic of racial relations would surface. Speaking of nationalities, thank you very much to the authors, Americans in general, unlike Europeans, often disdain international competitions (sorry, but for me, an American of Irish origin against an African-American is never an international competition) in favor of national championships, immediately everything was interesting from the point of view of a European - Americans, Brits, Colombians, choose anyone.
Jay Gyllenhaal is not the first year trying to give everything in every picture, for which I thank him very much. And sports enthusiasm, and emotional devastation, and the despair of not fusing relationships with others, there is everything and the pride of the champion and despair of the fallen. Only one minus - he was not added to his age, well, you can not give him 43, even in a beaten state.
Forest Whitaker Well, here's what to say, he's got no bad roles. I was expecting a great game from him and I got it. Even about the eye story came up with that, I think, separately will be interesting to fans of the work of this wonderful actor. But the role itself was solid, the script well spelled out both the background and the philosophy of the character, Whitaker was given a chance to shine, albeit on a very limited screen time and, of course, he used it, we did not expect less.
Of course, the heights of “War” (2011) “Left” could not repeat, he is inferior to him maybe not much, but in everything. However, the film itself leaves a very pleasant impression. And the drama is well sustained, and the intensity of the struggle is charging, people with well-developed empathy will like very much. And for the genre of sports cinema, the level is very good, fights are really very similar, both to broadcast real matches, and scenes from the perspective of boxers are very interesting. The fighting technique is also very decent, it is not for nothing that the protection in the film is given a separate place.
10 out of 10
The ring, the lighting that towers over the mass lovers of combat and blood, the lighting like Sirius, only now Sirius is burning in this huge room where two fighters will meet. And here! Man-made Sirius shines and the faces of two suicide bombers, boxers who are ready to play with luck, but why are they suicide bombers? None of them knows who will win, who will be disabled and who will die. Boxing is dangerous, boxing is insidious, boxing is deadly. Fortunately, the main character has an incentive - a wife and a little daughter, for the sake of them, their carefree future, he is ready to go into the ring forever! Fighter, husband, father. Can happiness stop? Can life change in a moment? Antoine Fuqua answers this question with the film Lefty, showing the story of Billy Hope, who from the first minutes of the story shouts in slowmotion and all his appearance hints: “Look, I am strong and the opponent will fall.” And the persuasiveness of the character was contributed by Jake Gillienhaal, who in turn showed not a small share of charisma. Let's find out about Billy Hope.
The paragraph above, at the beginning, described only a small part of the fight where Billy Hope won, let’s correct this omission. The excitement, the fear, the experience, all these feelings are visible in the eyes of Marin, the wife of the boxer, who watches with trepidation what is happening. Jab behind the jab, hook on the right, hook on the left, a terrifying situation for Marin, but not for the rest of the spectators of the boxing fighting game, while Marin’s heart beats in a chaotic rhythm, the rest of the observers it knocks smoothly. What's going on in the ring? Billy misses hits, yes, misses hits, but why? Probably what a trick, meanwhile, his opponent continues to bring on him more and more blows, like an avalanche, confident in its strength, ready to crush a lonely leaf with its numerous snow heels. There is another observer, or rather she, sitting at home and watching the already routine spectacle, we are talking about Billy’s daughter, maybe it was her excitement that strengthened her father’s spirit? A surreal and enigmatic judgment, however, Billy Hope wins. How? Having missed a series of shots, reaching the tenth round, Billy ceases to be a “leaf”, he intends to crush the “avalanche” – so be it. The family fighter takes action, he is no longer passive and his punches are accurate. After a few seconds, the surprised African-American opponent lies on the ground, not realizing to the end, and what happened and why, the victory, turned into a loss. And then Billy Hope will wait only for trouble.
In this story, there is another fighter - a young Miguel Escobar, as an annoying buffoon, he tries to bring Billy out of himself. What does he want, "joke"? Probably fame and fame. Of course, Miguel, a well-trained fighter, but for the sake of Hope's attention, he uses his not the best, so to speak, traits and it all boils down to the fact that Billy's wife, Dies... The short-lived screen role, allotted by Rachel McAdams, ends. Next, our hero is waiting for only trouble, as mentioned above. The picture of Antoine Fuqua begins, shows everything not in the light of Sirius and the dramatic side takes its turn. Drugs, suffering, pain, you have to go through it. Is it working? No, he's a fiasco, a loss too hard for Hope. Friends begin to leave him, gradually, the daughter becomes as if not native and the like, a series of trials, as a result, leads the hero to loneliness, that’s what the viewer needs to know, after the loss of his wife, the hero will have a “game with himself”, the struggle of Hop and his inner demons, but he does not lose hope, damn it! Hope means hope.
The film is not without an abundance of fighting scenes and training, the characters are believable, and Jake Gyllenhaal keeps well. Rachel McAdams on the screen was not enough, but when her character faces death, Rachel again wants to see on the screen, you can hope for another love line in the story of the hero and healing wounds, but for this you will need to shoot the second part of “Left”, immediately the message, and the goal of the hero, not to lose what is left. There will come a time for a fighter when... Ladies and gentlemen, ladies, gentlemen, their parents, you are here today to witness the fight of two fighters, Billy Hope and Miguel Escobar; they have been waiting for this fight long and finally they are in the ring, what is it? Vendetta or just boxing? It all leads to Billy Hope having this day, the day he gets back in the ring and the fight decides his fate. The day will come when he hugs his daughter. Will it come? Questions need answers, but it all comes down to one fight. The day will come, the hands will be bandaged and gloves will be put on.
The life of successful, rich and famous boxer Billy Hope suddenly rolled into tartara. As a result of a ridiculous shootout, his wife died, Hope was disqualified in the ring, he began drinking, became bankrupt, he was deprived of parental rights. Hope is almost hopeless, and there seems to be no opening. But weak people do not become boxers, and Billy has not yet said his last word.
Boxing films have long since turned into a full-fledged independent genre, forever dissociating themselves from other sports dramas and for the most part turning into films about courage, willpower, dignity, overcoming life collisions and their own shortcomings. And like any narrow genre, boxing films have their own rules and ingredients, which often become cliches and cliches in the perception of the viewer. And indeed, as much as possible: all the plot moves are already chewed-chewed, starting from Rocky, through Knockdown, Fighter, Wrestler and Warrior, ending with another reboot of Rocky. And yet I give "Left" a high rating, and now I will try to explain why.
The fact is that I finally realized that the assessment of narrow genre cinema can not be approached from the point of view of the plot and scenario twists: well, what fundamentally new can be invented in the classic youth “slasher”? Or in a romantic novel? Or in a musical based on the songs of a cult band? There are, of course, welcome exceptions, but they are rare and often deserve much higher praise. So the “Left” can and should be approached, trying to throw aside as much as possible the claims about the plot clichés Everything is simple: if they were not – there would be no film. Then what's the score? Directing, staging, dramaturgy, acting, soundtrack. Those who are allowed special knowledge, can evaluate the camera work, but I do not have such an opportunity, unfortunately. From all these points of view, the film is very good.
Antoine Fuqua, of course, is not the most stable director in the world, but still he understands something in his profession, since he managed to shoot a powerful and cool “Training Day”. Here is the picture of “The Left” is set very firmly with the right key points: here is the hero cheerful and good, here his wife dies, here he rolled, here he reached the bottom and pushed back, here he defeated his pride, here he rose, here he stood on the true path, here he overcame the first serious test and ahead of him, though unknown, but still quite optimistic. Plus actors, or rather one actor - Jake Gyllenhaal, who in principle could no longer prove anything to anyone. The title of one of the most talented young actors of our time, he deserved in the nil. And you could relax and play the cliché, but it's not about Jake. His Billy Hope is not just a film decoration, it is a film.
In a word, of course, you can not watch this film, being in captivity to prejudices against the classical representatives of the narrow genre of “boxer films”. However, observing all the rules of this game, the picture “Left”, no doubt, turns out to be quite a serious and full-fledged player.
8 out of 10
What makes people go to the movies? Interesting story, famous brand, famous actors. Everyone understands that when we talk about this film, we will focus on the last one. But will we be right? Not exactly. Yes, on the poster and in the description for the film you can see two big names: Gyllenhaal and my beloved McAdams. But, I tell everyone who wants to see this film only because of it, you can pass by, because there is almost no one in this film, and the question immediately arises: was it worth it at all to take such a wonderful and expensive actress for such a role? That's a very good question, given the film's not very good box office. But let’s leave this question to the producers of this picture, let’s talk about the film itself.
Speaking about such a plan of films, there is no special sense in talking about the plot, it is about the same everywhere, only the circumstances change, so let’s go straight to the characters. Bobby Hope, the fighter who fell to get up. Standard story, but how did we get it? The main character of the first twenty minutes of the film usually tries to win over the viewer, but in this film the hero of Gylenehaal behaves strangely, wildly, and sometimes simply infuriates. Only then does it begin to gain our respect. His acting is great, and at the end of the film, you get a liking for that character. But, what is most hurtful, this is the only character to whom you feel sympathy towards the end of the film (do not take into account the daughter, everyone understands that she is cute). Why is that? And it's very simple -- there's just disgusting dialogue in this movie. And how can you feel sympathy for characters who carry absolute nonsense? No way. And yet, if we talk about sympathy for one of the characters, it could and should have received the hero of Forest Whitaker, but he played very unconvincingly, and the script did its job (dialogues and more on trifles).
Recalling the pluses, except for the acting of Gyllenhaal, a great soundtrack and boxing itself and everything related to it come to mind. But that’s not enough to believe the story, we need to see what’s behind the scenes. We were shown this, but how? I think it's not very good, these characters don't want to believe. In such films, the audience must believe in the main characters. The bet on the daughter and the coach did not work, and one in the field is not a warrior ... but a pity.
P.S. One in the field is not "Warrior"" To the question of recommendation for viewing: yes, if you love Gyllenhaal, not if you saw the movie "Warrior"" with Hardy. After watching “Left-handed” after this movie, you will understand why such an assessment.
5 out of 10
Oh, I love sports drama. Especially boxing. At first glance, they are very similar to each other, but if you look closely, you can see that they have a certain element that makes films of this genre truly unique. And the left-hander was no exception to the rule.
At first glance, the script written by Kurt Sutter does not shine with much originality. The main character played by Jake Gyllenhaal is a professional boxer. Like Rocky, he was nothing. An orphan who had to fight to earn everything he had. A wonderful wife, a beautiful daughter, a beautiful house, money, fame and respect. He proved everything he could and now it is time for him to think about a quiet life, especially since his wife desperately asks for it, and the chance of losing health is very high.
But his plans did not come true. A beautiful life has come to an end. There was a fall. Not as loud as in "Raging Bull," but strong enough. And it did not happen because of the heavy character of the protagonist or vices that he could not contain. It happened because of tragedy. The death of a beloved wife. And here begins the main difference between “Left” from other boxing dramas. After all, our main character needs to enter the ring not to regain former glory, position or title. And to save the most precious and most important thing that remains of his ruined life. His daughter. If he wins the ring, he can get it back. And when he returns, he will save himself and find the strength to live on.
Of course, the script wouldn’t be so good without the great acting. Especially Jake Gyllenhaal. He took the image seriously. An incredibly brutal and at the same time dramatic character he turned out. So the candidate for the main role was chosen correctly. Rachel McAdams was also insanely good, despite having a bit of screen time. The rest of the actors, although they did not give anything outstanding, but they played well. It was just that everyone was in their place. Even 50 Cent and Rita Ora are not actors per se.
As a result, I believe that this creation of Antoine Fuqua is simply magnificent and deserves a place along with such masterpieces as Rocky, Raging Bull, Knockdown and other boxing dramas. Of course, I recommend this movie to watch.
“He is a man who loved. He's the man who lost everything. He's a man who lost himself. Will he be able to find himself? Bring your daughter back, avenge your wife?
Antoine Fuqua made us another worthy drama. The film tells about a boxer who, after a tragic incident (the death of his wife), can not continue to live. After all, everything was organized, cared for her daughter and husband, only one wife. Hope loses everything, former glory, daughter, roof over his head. Fuqua as always competently and decently shot the film.
Actors.
Jake Gyllenhaal, actor without an Oscar. A man who can play in dramatic films. What is one "Brokeback Mountain" worth? In this film, it was all done.
Forest Whitaker, "Ghost Dog." He is more suited to roles in action films, but not in dramas, especially in sports. There is something missing from this actor.
But I especially liked the acting of the smallest actress of the film Una Lawrence. What drama, what a game! Fuqua was not wrong with the choice.
Music The music is the mood of the movie. The music in this film is absolutely lacking. In the facts read that the composer wrote music “for free”, maybe because of this music so little.
Output. Very strong, sports drama. Those who like to watch this genre will appreciate it. But fans of action, fantasy this film will not like.
What can you expect from the trivial story of overcoming difficulties and climbing the Olympus after a fall? This is the concept most sports dramas have nowadays. The main character, who everything goes well, suddenly suffers a crushing defeat and must again scramble to his top. We have already heard such stories, even though the genre of sports drama itself is not very popular. And films of this kind now occasionally manage to surprise the viewer with a non-standard approach or plot. After all, the same acclaimed “Rocky” has largely exhausted all the charms of this niche. How many other films are there besides him? Like I said, a lot. But really remembered and impressed me, perhaps, only a couple of three from this group.
“Left-handed”, unfortunately, did not become a discovery, and did not make you think, rethink something in your life. This is a pretty typical story about a boxer who went downhill and now has to fight for his happiness again. Cinema is largely secondary and copies many script techniques from other similar films. But who said it was bad? In the end, everything is well served, and the strengths of this film have, and even what!
The first thing that catches the eye is the expressive and simply incomparable play of actors of all planes. This is largely due to the characters themselves, but still handsome Jake Gyllenhaal and the company were able to surprise. Everyone plays their hero flawlessly, believably and vitally. Billy Hope’s daughter and wife are just what a worrying and caring wife and a moody little daughter should be. Coach Tit Wills is a classic wise mentor who always gives good advice and, as they say, educates his ward. Jordan is a typical mercantile manager who sees everything through the prism of profit. And everyone's played just fine. But who managed to simply impress with his transformation into a harsh and brutal image, it is Jake. In my opinion, this is a top ten hit. Emotional, angry, tense, beastly character, top aerobatics performed by Gyllenhaal. Such heroes in sports dramas, not much in fact. And here is the glasher impressive.
The second thing you willy-nilly pay attention to is the quality of shooting individual scenes and their atmosphericity. Beautiful and natural boxing, rich and emotional dramatic moments, juicy scenes of Billy’s nervous breakdowns and his skirmishes. Very lively and atmospheric shooting, which is also supplemented by a magnificent sound from Eminem.
Finally, the third thing that I remember personally is how the director was able to show by the example of Billy Hope the dependence of success on a cold head and the control of emotions even in martial arts. After all, it is not for nothing that Billy blamed himself for the death of his wife. His emotions gave him some firewood, and the consequences were dire. Because of them, he almost lost his daughter, and they certainly would not allow him to take off again and regain his title. But the advice of the mentor helps the hero to return to the ranks, change himself emotionally and spiritually, and win. In this regard, as a sports drama, the film certainly works, despite the fact that something radically new does not present.
Disadvantages somehow do not even want to look for, especially realizing that the film is original and initially did not claim, using simple movie cliches of this genre. Let this movie and second-rate in many ways, but the eye does not cut, no disgust at all, and somewhere even impressive. It just doesn't shine with originality.
As a result, the film does not pull on the masterpiece, but it can impress for sure. Antoine Fuqua shoots good, and even good ribbons, and “Left” was no exception.
Resume: not a new word in the genre, but this movie can definitely please you, at least because of the main actor, he is good here:
7.5 out of 10
No matter how trivial the plot is, as the truth is not beaten in this film - it is incomparable.
Honestly, I did not expect much - an American film like "Peaceful Warrior", etc., which go for the sake of the beautiful faces of the actors.
But I was struck by the skill of the actors, especially Gyllenhaal, because for me he always played average. And I loved McAdams before, and now I'm even stronger.
An amazing game that makes you sincerely feel something, cry.
A special factor for me is music. I’m a fan of Abel Tesfaye and hearing his song at the beginning of the film was a pleasant surprise. And, of course, the main soundtracks provided by Eminem.
The film, I repeat, is incomparable - in play, picture, meaning and music.
There are movies that make even strong men cry. You will say that this is nonsense, and you may be right. Only weak or emotional ladies cry in cinemas, men sit next to them and feel something, experience only a known tragedy.
There are movies - complete nonsense with a claim to the truth. There are others – not just written by life, but also perfectly directed and edited. What, by the way, in the post-Soviet space now rather not there than there is. You can’t rely only on Zvyagintsev and a couple of talented directors. But another time. Today about "The Left."
It’s an American film that I didn’t expect much. Judging by the trailer and the stories of a friend who has lost count for a long time, how many times I watched it, I thought that it is necessary to watch in a bad mood.
You know, I wasn't wrong. When everything once again collapses in your life, and there is still no reason to cry, watch it. “Left” will finish you off, hit on the right or left, but definitely knock out. You won't even know it. Realize that the main role is not a professional boxer, but an actor. Realize that everything seems to be normal, as in another soap melodrama. But there will be more, believe me. More than just a movie.
If you think it’s a love movie or another tale about a hero rising from the ashes, you’re right. It will all be on the pages of the film. But there will be something more, silent, that the viewer will understand, feel, survive himself.
Americans love such stories, everything is predictable. But this psychology... He's holding the tension.
I sometimes ask myself: “Maybe Dostoevsky sent a package with a thousand brilliant scenarios to America, and we just don’t know?” But it's not about that either.
Tonight about Left. So I'd like to leave you with a last word: Psychology and the desire to gnaw is, of course, great, and the movie will give you all that. But there is another point for which it is necessary to download it and spend two hours of life.
It should be shown to all men who choose friends, not family. There is one excellent dialogue there, which, if it does not change the worldview, at least will make you think.
"They will all run away like cockroaches." And we will stay and lick your wounds. Just stop the movie at that phrase. There will be a lot of interesting things going on, but here is something to think about.
I can definitely say that this is the strongest film. I was going to go to it in the summer when it was in theaters, but alas, this opportunity did not present itself. I just got to him now.
I'm so glad I didn't read the KP reviews all this time! For as I can see now, for myself personally, I would read a wild spoiler! One of the main female roles in the film. And I didn't even watch the trailer, I don't know if it's there. And I hope it's not shown. Because, people, what a sensation I got when I saw it, what a twist, yes, for me it was a shock, I didn't know anything about the film, no details, and it played into the hands of the feeling. And I realized that before watching this movie (and many others with a good plot) you don’t need to read reviews about it, or even watch trailers. And then you get the full range of amazing sensations from the film (if it is good).
P.S. And yes, I’m not going to write about that spoiler here, even though it’s in almost every review. I just advise people not to watch trailers and not to read anything before watching (who knows, suddenly these words of mine someone will see). .
Jake Gyllenhaal
I'm not even going to describe my enthusiasm for his work. Bravo! At different points in the film, he made me treat him differently, he appeared in different roles. But other actors should not be overlooked, coped perfectly.
I expected this movie to be just another sports drama, like many other similar movies. But I got a lot more than I expected. The same Warrior (not Russian, of course) made less of an impression on me, although I like the film itself. “Knockdown” to give an example, probably, I will not, that’s why I do not want to compare them. But one way or another, “Left” was stronger than all these films, similar to each other, undoubtedly stood out from the crowd. Just don't throw stones at me if you have to! Specifically, I’m talking about my opinion about this film, my perception, personally, he made such an impression on me, touched more than other sports of drama. The rest of the movies I mentioned are definitely strong too!
Absolutely without hesitation, I put one left.
10 out of 10
Stanley Kubrick said that a universal plot about a hero who overcomes all obstacles for the sake of the title of the best will always work for the audience interest. The film “Left” seems to have tried to challenge this thesis.
The painting by Antoine Fuqua “Left”, before finally reaching the wide world box office, managed to go a huge creative path, which undoubtedly influenced in the end its final appearance. Conceived as an 8 Mile sequel, it was written under Eminem. This could be the story of how the famous rapper loses his former glory and decides to climb the Olympus again of black truth-cutters from the dirty neighborhoods of New York. But the musician who refused to participate in the film made fatal adjustments to the script. From a canvas about the difficult life of guys who can not be called the letter “n”, “Left” turned into a tortured drama about how a battered boxer tries to piece together his broken career and family life.
Such a change of priorities did not play into the hands of the tape: what the audience saw in the end, can not be called either an instructive sports story, nor even a somewhat digestible motivational rattle, which is in a hurry to get into the Internet ranking of “100 films, after watching which you want to live.”
A successful boxer with the symbolic name Hope (English "dream", "hope"), it seems, was able to become a man capable of carrying the proud title of lucky. Everything in his life turned out just fine. Multimillion-dollar contracts, a beautiful wife, a little daughter are the idyll for any Irish immigrant to the US. But as it turned out, the villain fate prepared a terrible test for the hero. In a series of fatal accidents, he first loses his wife, then his career, and then his beloved daughter, who is taken from him by social workers when the athlete can no longer pay the bills. Instead of headlong into the world of alcoholic splint and pitched hopelessness, Bill decides to prove at all costs that a boxer should fight not only in the ring, but also in ordinary life. Even if his opponent turns out to be a ruthless fate, with which it is impossible to arrange a fixed match.
After a sharp change in the “profession” of the main character, it was very logical to make him a boxer. Who, but bulls, turning the faces of rivals with their own hands-anvils into bloody mince, should be able to stand up and, despite everything, realize the masculine need for constant, every second self-affirmation before the whole world? It seems that it is with these thoughts agreed to the role of Gyllenhaal, who in each scene laid out as if he, like his hero, another chance may not be given. As in “Stringer”, which will be released in wide release next week, the actor continues to prove to Hollywood that he long ago came out of the image of a pretty boy from cute female comedies.
In some scenes, it seems that Jake is too small for his role. The viewer is shown the first loss of the hero. He cries desperately on the floor of the sports locker room. The director practically does not invest in the scene, does not inflame the atmosphere, and only thanks to the game of Gyllenhaal you can believe that you are really crushed by life. It turns out that the actor himself can do much more, but the director, it seems, does not require him to do this, and the whole spark in the character flashes out somehow by itself.
The more faded and inexpressive on his background looks the rest of the team. So, for example, the recently declared bankrupt rapper 50 Cent does not even try to pretend that he was in the frame not only for money. Guest star Forest Whitaker did not hide the image of his hero from the character of Morgan Freeman from “Million Dollar Baby” and cozy works with already worked-out acting techniques.
If you discard the magnificent performance of one actor, then from “Left” begin to shamelessly stick out all the white threads with which this story is sewn. I do not doubt that in the films with the plot “the boxer, reaching the bottom, again rises to the top” cunning plot twists to nothing – this we could see a quarter of a century ago in “Rocky”. But the left-hander from the very beginning tries to pretend to be a serious drama, which he just fatally fails.
Do you feel sorry for the hero who lost his wife, daughter and career? Well, what about the fact that he's also an orphan from the bottom up? Still not crying? And how about this turn: we will kill exactly that insignificant character in the course of the story, which you could get attached to in an hour?
Such sour ways of squeezing tears from the viewer can work once or twice, but when the whole movie consists of passions that an old Santa Barbara can envy, there is no strength and desire to experience the characters.
As he delves deeper into Brazilian passions, the director seems to forget at one point that he is making a boxing drama. No way. For what you can really praise "Left", so it is a point, with knowledge staged scenes of boxing fights. Gyllenhaal naturally folds the jaws of opponents, the entire screen is covered with a bloody haze, and at some point you begin to forget that you are watching a movie, and not a real sports fight. Everything would be fine, but only the contractions on the screen devoted a fifth of the time, why these injectable doses of adrenaline are intoxicating, and knock the viewer out of the narrative. As a result, what could be played well turns out to be more of an annoying factor than a plus of the picture.
Perhaps the main reason for all the problems of “Left” can be called a sharp change in the entourage of the film. If you put a drunken rapper instead of a boxer, and take a music producer for the role of his coach, the essence of what is happening on the screen will not change. And if with such a scenario, the story about a white singer of black streets could fall into the audience’s soul – for the narrative about the difficult life of a boxer who lost everything, the tape simply does not have enough teeth. Instead of sharp verbal punchlines - point blows in the nose, instead of a thin downtrodden boy from Brooklyn - a child in boxing gloves, chewing snot with her daughter.
In place of a good sequel to a good film of the 00s - a mediocre drama, which is dragged on its hump by one talented lyceum. Maybe Eminem will still be happy to change his mind next year?
5 out of 10
Why is everyone so excited about this movie? The situation on the screen is very dramatic. It seems like there's something to empathize with. But as a feature film, Lefty leaves much to be desired and longing for better. It’s not that the story of rising from the bottom is “old as the world.” I don't see that as a problem. Everything (or almost everything) has already been written and filmed. Every next film cannot be original. How much you can whine.
The fact is that there is a strong story (many times reshot) and the development of the main character (Hope, by the way, is a pig). But I want movies to have different emotions. A lot of emotion. Ideally, a lot of strong emotions. It's a sports drama, not a melodrama! I want the main actor to attract attention. Although I liked the scene where Billy Hope grieves for his dead wife, or the one where he feels frustrated with himself. Plus a couple more. But the rest of the time I had to experience oppressive disappointment in the directorial work of Antoine Fuqua. Naked plot, little "delicious" details, half-empty dialogue.
And the soundtrack? Where is he? I didn't notice him at all. No memorable composition. They could at least play music. Very, very sorry.
How boring is camera work? No dynamics, no style. The exception is the boxing scene. I'll leave it to you.
P.S. Do you know what the most important thing about this book is? After that, I want to watch “you know what the movie is.”
4 out of 10
This film was advised to me, they said it was great, exciting and with great acting. So I decided to watch it, and you know, in the 30th minute, I knew what was going to happen at the end of the movie. I wouldn’t be so worried about this unoriginal film if it weren’t for such high marks. I will talk about the pros and cons of this film.
Of the pluses of the picture, I would like to distinguish normally from all the playing actor Jake Gyllenhaal, who I still began to like for his play in the films Donnie Darko and Brokeback Mountain. He was really interested in the role. I would also like to highlight the music in the film, if you like it.
There are more downsides to the movie. The first and most important disadvantage is the plot of this picture. It's terribly predictable, clichéd and not original, haven't we seen it in Rocky and Living Steel (though the latter doesn't shine with originality). The theme of the film is stuck to the core. The next disadvantage is to highlight the disgusting game of Una Lawrence (daughter of the main character). It’s absolutely unpersuasive and annoying throughout the film (how the director allowed such a bad performance). Also a minus can be considered Rachel McAdams, who, despite the fact that a good actress, in this film plays absolutely not convincing (well, she was killed). I won’t even talk about the clichéd coach (although actor Forest Whitaker is not bad even in this movie). About the dialogues that the student of the 5th grade wrote, I will generally keep silent.
So if you want to see a good boxing movie, you better watch Rocky or Million Dollar Baby. This film shows nothing new in the genre. He's just stupid. I have nothing more to add.
The 2015 film Lefty, starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Rachel McAdams, certainly deserves the attention of viewers who are interested in boxing in life and in the arts. Strong actors, the classic fall of the boxer to the bottom in the plot and his revival are a kind of classic of the sports drama of the XXI century. However, perhaps it is these circumstances that suggest that somewhere we have already seen this. And the main character makes only an inexperienced viewer sympathize with himself, who has never watched the brilliant “Knockdown’s Russell Crowe, for example.” The film, despite the seeming emotionality, looks bland and sweet, played, although there can be no claims to Jake Gyllenhaal and certainly McAdams. The evil joke with the film was played by the theme, which traveled along and across. However, boxing fights are weakly removed, in the style of Rocky, when the blows fell on the opponents with hail, and they did not fall. In the same "Knockdown" and even the domestic "Battle with the Shadow" fights are much better. For the 82nd film “Raging Bull” is forgivable, for 2015-no.
A great role in the aging Forest Whitaker. The image of an amateur coach, cherishing his students and bringing a fallen boxer to the top, was successful, although, of course, people familiar with boxing will say that one individual training at this level would not be enough for a person who wants to conquer boxing Olympus again.
In general, “Left” is a good sports drama, high-quality, partly touching, with strong actors, but clearly inferior to its earlier predecessors in all respects. You will not be able to raise your hand, so