Against the Ropes Review
by Joel B. Kirk (joelkirk AT sbcglobal DOT net)February 23rd, 2004
Against the Ropes
A film by Joel B. Kirk
SYNOPSIS:
The daughter of a trainer, Jackie Kallen, grows up skipping rope in a downtown Detroit gym alongside her uncle, a fighter himself. Now, at 36, Jackie's ready to carry on the family tradition. Trying to make her mark in the boxing world, Jackie spends a lot of her free time working the room at D'Agostino's, a pugs and thugs hangout known for its stiff drinks and bloody steaks. After drinks with Cleveland's local hotshot TV sportscaster, Gavin Reese, Jackie ends up in a verbal sparring match with the Midwest's boxing kingpin, Sam LaRocca. Just to belittle her, he sells her the contract of one of his fighters--Devon Greene-- for a dollar, which he has threatened to let go if he loses a bout. It turns out Devon's bankrupt and a drug addict. When she goes to Devon's apartment—in the Detroit ghetto—to introduce herself as his new manager, she arrives just as his drug dealer's enforcer, Luther Shaw, is beating him up. Instantly, she recognizes that it is Luther, not Devon, who has the potential to be her champion. Bailing Luther out of jail, Jackie convinces him to pursue boxing and to let her be his manager. Then, with the help of Felix Reynolds, a veteran trainer whom she coaxes out of retirement, Jackie turns Luther into a streamlined prizefighter and at the same time, turns herself into one of the most successful female managers in boxing history.
MY TAKE:
Tony Shaloub's (TV's MONK, GALAXY QUEST, THE SIEGE, POLLY) Sam LaRocca is an obvious villain, threatening individuals who challenge his authority—which one would assume, is usually the prizefighters working under him. He comes off first threatening boxer Devon Greene (portrayed by Tory Kittles) who, for no reason given, must win a fight otherwise lose his career. Next we see that character a drug addict in the ghetto, where Meg Ryan's (YOU GOT MAIL, PROOF OF LIFE, CITY OF ANGELS) Jackie finds Omar Epps'(LOVE AND BASKETBALL, THE WOOD) Luther Shaw beating up on the former fighter, taking interest on how Luther handles his fists.
Jackie Kallen has a liking for short skirts and boots, showing us an aspect of her independent and sexy persona, slightly altering the typical girl-next-door role Meg Ryan usually portrays.
Pretty Kerry Washington (SAVE THE LAST DANCE) is 'the friend' Renee, who takes a liking to Luther.
Director/Actor Charles S. Dutton (TV's ROC, ALIEN3, MIMIC) who helmed the picture plays Felix trainer, who acts also as a mentor. He doesn't have much screen time, and we expect his character to open up more, since he seems to know the good and bad of the boxing world. The character just seems to go with the flow of the picture, emoting every now and then.
In the end, however, we don't really get to know the characters, or care about the characters. Just when they should be getting interesting, the film ends. We see Luther with LaRocca, and we are led to believe his career is 'against the ropes' since we know how conniving the villain is. He forgives Jackie whom he believed was using him for her own gains, but the audience is left in the air as to what happens next to Luther's character. Screenwriter Cheryl Edwards, who also wrote SAVE THE LAST DANCE, leaves us with a film that ended a little too nicely, with many questions left in the air, much like the previous film she penned.
POSITIVE/NEGATIVE NITPICKS:
Luther, when we first see him (and actually throughout the picture) is violent, uneducated, and disrespectful. (I'm not sure how much was fictionalized or true, but if one were to really look at the film, there are definitely stereotypical images thrown at the audience). It would have been more interesting to understand Luther more. How does success affect him? What comes out of that success? What of the relationship between he and Renee? What of the relationship between he and LaRocca?
Jackie almost comes off as if she had 'done Luther a favor' for bringing him out of the ghetto, and as aforementioned, we aren't given that opportunity to see her character change or see her realize the change as she gets more and more into the limelight.
FINAL COMMENTS:
This could have been a straight feel-good comedy drama about a woman making her way in a sport where there are not too many women to begin with.
MY RATING:
**1/2 out of *****
DIRECTOR:
Charles S. Dutton
WRITER:
Cheryl Edwards
(Based on the life of Jackie Kallen)
CAST:
Meg Ryan-Jackie Kallen
Omar Epps-Luther Shaw
Skye McCole Bartusiak-Young Jackie
Tony Shalhoub-Sam LaRocca
Timothy Daly-Gaven Ross
Charles S. Dutton-Felix Reynolds
Joseph Cortese-Irving Abel
Kerry Washington-Renee
GENRE:
Drama/Comedy
RUNNING TIME:
80 minutes
YEAR OF RELEASE:
2004 by Paramount Pictures
Copyright 2004 Joel B. Kirk
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