June 24, 2004

Fighting Tommy Riley

By Kirk Honeycutt

First-class performances by veteran Eddie Jones and newcomer JP Davis give a lift to this low-budget boxing drama. More character study than sports movie, the people in this film come across very much as flesh-and-blood personalities despite the script's tendency to indulge in cliches and let characters deliver highly emotional speeches. Premiering at the Los Angeles Film Festival, "Fighting Tommy Riley" certainly makes a lively festival selection. But since it's worlds apart from a crowd-pleasing fable like "Rocky," it isn't likely to punch its way out of the art houses circuit.

The comparison to "Rocky" is apt, however, because like Sylvester Stallone, the screenplay's writer, Davis, refused to sell his script unless he could play the title role -- a wise decision for he brings a brooding intensity and the necessary boxing skills to the part he knows inside and out. Surprisingly, he is not the movie's protagonist. That belongs to Jones, who gives a vivid performance as the ailing and aging trainer, Marty Goldberg, who sees in young Tommy a chance to get back into the pro sport he so dearly loves.

Tommy has his drawbacks -- a self-destructive streak mingled with a troubled past makes him a long shot despite raw talent. As the two work together, it becomes clear that Marty has his own hidden shortcomings. He is a man trying to deny who is really is: a man who, like Tommy, tries in vain to run from his past. By coming together, each is forced to confront his true nature.

Diane M. Tayler has several good moments as Marty's business partner, while Christina Chambers is well cast as Tommy's on-and-off girlfriend. The boxing footage feels a bit remote. We watch the fights rather than feel a part of them; we are outside the ring instead of inside. Otherwise, the cinematography is superb as Michael Fimognari lets his palette of moody earth tones and dark gyms establish the gritty "backstage" world of professional boxing. All other tech credits are solid.