Category: Sports

Reviewed by Ramona Prioleau

Part drama, part black comedy, part sports film, 2017’s I Tonya is one of the most curious and interesting sports films to come out of the last few years. Following the multifaceted, ever-controversial story of ice and figure skater Tonya Harding, the film, which stars Margot Robbie in the leading role, follows the life of the athlete and specifically the events leading up to and following her connection to the 1994 attack on her rival Nancy Kerrigan.

Since the film is juggling a few genres, I, Tonya’s biggest issue is when it fails to keep all the figure skaters in the air. I, Tonya tries to do too much at once—the film attempts to be funny but dramatic, honest but salacious—and because of this, it fails on a number of levels. It’s as if, like so much of America, the film can never quite decide what it thinks about Tonya Harding. It can’t quite choose what tone it wants to take, and the film is less effective because of this. Do we trust Tonya? Who knows. The film certainly doesn’t seem to have an answer.

The film’s unevenness is also apparent in the manner in which the film is produced. Everything, not just the tone, is inconsistent. The narration, the point-of-view, the on-screen text, it all changes and shifts throughout the movie, in a way that’s anything but clever. This results in a film that feels patchworked and thrown together.

Robbie, however, as she so often does, redeems all of this and carries the film. She delivers a roaring performance full of charm and personality. The actress disappears completely into the character, and it’s one of the few roles in the actress’ career that seems to match her unstoppable talent. Sebastian Stan and Allison Janney also deliver fantastic supporting roles that – despite the messy narrative and the half-baked execution – keep the film interesting throughout.

I, Tonya is a messy movie — it’s inconsistent and halting, oddly paced and jolting— but then again, so is the story it’s trying to tell. Perhaps, on that level, the film is a roaring success. Either way, the movie is an off-beat and oddball of a film that has a little something for everyone. M

January 2018

Reviewed by Ramona Prioleau

The Greatest, released in 1977, is a biographical sports film about the life of Muhammad Ali. The film, in which Ali stars as himself, follows Ali from his time at the 1960 Summer Olympics to his winning of the heavyweight crown from boxer George Foreman in their now famous 1974 “Rumble in the Jungle” fight. It is based on The Greatest: My Own Story, a book written by Muhammad Ali and Richard Durham and edited by author Toni Morrison.

The Greatest is not a great film. The editing is atrocious, and the directing is haphazard and without identity. The film jolts and slouches with no real pace, and it is not really an easy film to watch. However, that does not necessarily mean that the film is not worth watching. The Greatest is the type of movie that one can be assured would unlikely be made today. It is curious and quirky; the fact that Ali plays himself is something that seems foreign in today’s Hollywood. Imagine, if you will, if Tom Brady announced next month that he would play himself in a film about his life. It would seem positively odd, and the mere oddity of this film existing shouldn’t necessarily be glossed over.

Ali was not an actor though and it is likely that he could have only played himself. However, the ferocity and energy that the boxer brought into the ring is apparent in his performance as a movie star. This is in part simply because of the subject matter and the events of the film itself, yes, but, beyond that, there is something powerful and striking about Ali’s performance in this film. That fire, the unchecked power that always seemed to be hiding behind Ali’s eyes, is captured by the camera brilliantly.

However, even with Ali in front of the camera and somewhat behind the script, the film feels far—too far—out of the boxer’s hands. The movie is whitewashed to a degree (perhaps unsurprising for the time in which it was released but still an important and troubling aspect) and the agency of the film never seems to belong to Ali. This is a major contributor to the sort of slapped-together feeling the entire film has. It feels like 5 different movies at once, 5 different ideas and visions all vying for the top spot and for the audience’s attention. Ali’s name is simply not enough to rise above all this noise; the film is in desperate need of more focus and more attention.

The Greatest is certainly not a top tier sports movie, but it’s still worth checking out. If anything, the film should be viewed both as a curious piece of Hollywood history and as a piece of boxing and Ali history. M

May 2017

Reviewed by Ramona Prioleau

Released in 1976, Rocky is a sports drama that stars Sylvester Stallone in the title role. The film follows Rocky Balboa, an Italian American who works for a loan shark in 1970s Philadelphia. Balboa, a low-profile club fighter, has dreams of becoming a major boxer, and when he’s given a chance to square off against World Heavyweight Champion Apollo Creed (played by legendary character actor Carl Weathers) he trains and prepares as if his life depends on it. In more ways than one, perhaps it does.

Rocky is fun and easy to watch. From the outset, the rags-to-riches of the film is predictable and easy to follow, but it’s never boring. Stallone, a relative unknown at the time of filming, is oddly captivating as the burling, bumbling leading man, but the film’s supporting cast really ensures that there’s never a dull scene or moment. Talia Shire, Rocky’s love interest, and Mickey Goldmill, Rocky’s trainer, share the screen with Stallone in a fantastic way. The primary characters of the film all bounce off each other brilliantly, and the energy the cast brings to every scene can’t help but propel the film forward.

There is no secret now and there was no secret in 1976 that Rocky, as well as the entire nine-movie franchise that has since come from, is simple. The films are full of machismo and hyper-masculinity, of acting without thinking and even acting without feeling. The films are sometimes blindingly patriotic and lack nuance. They are spectacles—well-made, well-acted and well-received—but spectacles all the same. It is not a stretch to say that the Rocky films almost feel propagandic.

If they are nothing else though, they are easy. They are simple. All the problems in Balboa’s life are complex, difficult issues that, in the real world, would require thoughtful and intricate solutions. Poverty, racism, classism, relationships—the film flirts with all these ideas, all these struggles, but it never really focuses on them. It never really suggests a solution. In the world of Rocky, Balboa needs only to keep punching until he hits something. Personal preference will determine whether this is a positive for the film or a drawback.

For some, the single-mindedness of Rocky and its sequels might feel like a missed opportunity. However, for many, the cut-and-dry story of Rocky will be exactly what draws them to the film. It’s a fantasy, of course , that one can fight their way out of all their problems, but it’s a fantasy that sells—you only need to look at the multi-movie franchise that the film has spawned to see that this is a message that audiences don’t seem to be tiring of. In this way, Rocky is an absolute success. It sells viewers the one thing they want when they go to the movies—easy solutions to complex problems, and a happy ending to boot. M

December 2016