Susan Granger’s review of “Bleed for This” (Open Road Films)
Inspirational boxing movies are always about the persistence and resilience of an underdog – and this is no exception.
In 1987, swaggering Rhode Island fighter Vinny Pazienza (Miles Teller) – a.k.a. “The Pazmanian Devil” – became World Champion, only to lose a 1988 fight at Caesar’s Palace. Then a horrific car crash left him with a spinal fracture – a.k.a. broken neck.
Forced to wear a painful Halo, a medical neck brace held in place by screws driven into his skull in four places, he is determined to go back into the ring – against his doctor’s orders.
Observing that they’re “both out to pasture,” paunchy Kevin Rooney (almost unrecognizable Aaron Eckhart), a deadbeat, alcoholic coach who was fired by Mike Tyson, paves pugnacious Vinny’s road to redemption, enabling him to make a comeback.
Predictably, that doesn’t sit well with his raucous, tight knit Italian Catholic family, including his foul-mouthed sister Doreen (Amanda Clayton), devoutly religious mother Louise (Katey Sagal) and domineering father Angelo (Ciaran Hinds).
Following his impressive turn as the obsessive drummer in “Whiplash,” Miles Teller delivers another high-intensity performance. His charisma is undeniable.
Filmed with a visual flair by writer/director Ben Younger (“Boiler Room”) on a $6 million budget in and around Providence, Rhode Island, in 24 days, it reeks of gritty realism, although lacking a truly compelling boxing sequence.
Filled with reaction shots, it’s also overly long; at least 20 minutes could be easily eliminated.
Other boxing movies in this genre include David O. Russell’s “The Fighter” with Mark Wahlberg as another Rhode Island fighter, along with older entries like “Raging Bull,” “Rocky,” “Million Dollar Baby,” “Southpaw” and “Somebody Up There Likes Me.”
On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Bleed for This” spars with a sweaty 6, scrappy with sports stereotypes and showboating sentiment.
