‘Forging a Champion’: The Story of the First Boxer

The fascinating thing about sports dramas based on real people or on events that happened, is to be able to enter, even if fictional, in a unique historical moment., which allows you to see how a team or an athlete got to the top and made their name part of posterity. This is the theory, the practice is something else, because there are great sports biopic films like “Chariots of Fire”, “Foxcatcher” or the recent “42 seconds”. However, after there are other titles that have tried to strike the same chord … but have fallen by the wayside.

Unfortunately, This is the case with ‘The forging of a champion’, which chronicles the rise and fall of boxer Jem Belcher, who made history by becoming the youngest champion in the history of boxing in the United Kingdomsport just born in the time of Belcher, at least as regards boxing with gloves – the practice of this sport, as such, dates back to the mid-nineteenth century, although the practice of boxing with bare hands had been practiced for a century earlier .

With some protagonists who dress in typical 19th century clothes, which give the film an air of romanticism, The tape had all the ingredients to become one of the ideal titles for this upcoming awards season. However, the proposal led by Daniel Graham is one Extremely conventional sports biopic, which follows by heart the most essential moments of Belcher’s lifenot going beyond what is expected in this type of productions and with a protagonist who has been asked for more charisma.

Biographical film on conventional sport

Precisely, it is its protagonist who drives the film crazy. It is true that an actor dedicated to his role is capable, at least, of saving the furniture of a film. It was seen last year with the two Academy Award winners for Best Actor and Actress, as Will Smith and Jessica Chastain were far above the forgettable “The Williams Way” and “The Eyes of Tammy Faye”. However, Matt Hookings lacks that charisma. In addition, the interpreter offers an extremely flat performanceto the point that the rise and fall of a name in the history of sport no longer matter.

In this case, there is a triple sin on the part of Hookings, who also works as a writer and producer of the tape. He gives the impression that he wanted to make the film just to show off, but the result couldn’t be simpler. Also, he makes the mistake of putting two veterans like Ray Winstone and Russell Crowe on the screen, who eat him. He is curious how the actor of ‘Gladiator’ and ‘Master and Commander’ manages to convey that aura of being spoiled, with an interpretation that deserved more presence on the screen. However, the protagonist’s mentors can’t save the film if it doesn’t convey that feeling of a hero who has ended up being a victim of his own ego.

“The forge of a champion” was moreover, an exercise that fails to interest the public in Belcher’s life and legacy and how fame ended up destroying him. An overly conventional and sadly failed biopic on sport.

Note: 4

The best: Look, Russell Crowe is still fit.

Worse: Sounds like a Hookings personal project, but more advice would have been welcome.

Note: 5

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