Prismark10 Fighting Demons starts out interestingly enough but quickly treads a well worn path and soon goes into heavy handedness and banality.Sean Bean is Vian a former boxer released from 12 years in jail for beating a man to death. On his release, he is unwanted in his old boxing gym and his single mom sister reluctantly allows him to stay with her young son with the proviso that he does not drink and stays out of trouble.Vian tries to pull his life back together as an ex-con, he gets a job in a diner, he gets on well with his boss (Tom Arnold) and even gets a girlfriend (Eva Longoria) who seems to be stalked by a rival suitor which the film never delves in.Things seem to be going well, Vian get tempted to drink every now and then but he resists however his nephew is involved in an accident which causes distress, he falls out with his boss because Vian does want him to date his sister for no reason at all and his girlfriend finds out that he has done time.The film also has some Christian spiritual undertones in the movie and it all dissipates with a weak finish about trying to find redemption for his crime.As a minor low key film it is well acted although Sean Bean is clearly too old for his character.

dansview Lead actor Sean Bean was about 55 when this film was made. He would not have been a boxer just prior to jail 12 years ago. How many white 43 year old boxers are there in L.A.? Why did they pick a 55 year old British Guy to play an American former boxer, who still has boxing in his life? Why not choose an American actor 43, who was 31 before jail? Having said that, yes of course Bean did an admirable job with his role.I think they gave both him and his sister European names, to partially explain away his seemingly non-American quality.Well, the reviews were pretty brutal on this one, and I understand why, but it had plenty going for it too. I have no idea what part of L.A. they used, but they managed to find a white working class area not far from open space. Where is that? White working class stories have not taken place in an L.A. setting since Karate Kid. Anyways, good photography and atmosphere.The Indie music was moody and memorable. Looks like the main singer was born in Germany but sings Americana folk. That was refreshing.At first I thought the kid was the worst actor on the planet, but then I sort of got why he played such a robotic innocent. He was the counter to his uncle's jaded soul. I do totally see why the kid would run into trouble and tragedy, because he had no father and was not taught to keep his guard up. He went about his day in innocence and stuff happened. Later we are to consider that a virtue.My favorite part of the movie by far was the interaction between Tom Arnold's character and our lead. I totally believed that. There are many guys like Arnold's character. I mean average Joes who screw up a lot, never fully grew up, but have some genuine goodness in them. They usually find kindred spirits to hang out with.Would someone like Eva Longoria's character let a guy 16 years her senior pick her up in a supermarket parking lot after desperately asking for her phone number multiple times? I know that everyone says no, but I say yes. She saw that he was family-oriented, playing with his nephew, and that he had a shyness mixed with machismo. Women go for that.There is no mention of Jesus. But the writers slipped in some super awkward religious messages toward the end while purposely not fully explaining. I think the message was that redemption requires effort, resolve, and faith. Most of our lead's cohorts stuck by him, despite his multiple screw-ups. Ultimately, even his abusive dead father redeems things.The story runs super slow, so be prepared for that. Bean's non-American style and awkward age that does not fit the role, will make you squirm. Throw in the even more awkward spiritual ambiguity, and I'll give you credit if you don't hate it. I did not. I actually liked it.

mleighs-88269 Sean Bean- I have to give credit as he is a sensational actor, and he was in this film too. He performed fantastically in his role, but it wasn't enough to make this anything other than a really crappy let-down of a film. And here we learn the importance of a good screenplay........Three well known actors (and only one of them 'good' as far as I'm concerned) make up the leading roles in this movie but I'm worried that it only served to illustrate that they were only good in the roles they were most known for and have little else to offer? I'd hate for that to be true......... (I'm STILL not ready for Ned Stark to be dead.... I can't let it go..... :) :) :) ) I watched this movie while working on an art project but would never have been able to suffer through the entire thing if I wasn't otherwise occupied. Nothing redeemable about the film at all.Don't bother....... just be sad with the rest of us that Ned Stark is gone........ no matter what Sean Bean appears in, it's never going to make that suck less. :)

Theo Robertson I noticed this new release has only had one other review by Paul Allaer who seemed to dislike it very much . My own motives for seeing it was simply down to seeing a film before it went on general release and the fact it contains the novelty of a film starring Sean Bean where he plays an American character as in he doesn't speak with a broad Yorkshire accent . The remake of THE HITCHER was the only other film I can think of when Bean did this !!!! SUGGESTIVE SPOILERS !!!! After seeing AD I have to agree with Paul that it's not a great film and I agree with him the reasons why it's not a great film . It is a redemption plot and an all too obvious redemption plot and one with all too predictable twists . If someone says " No drinking or else" you can guarantee there will some drinking going on and else will indeed happen . One key plot turn quite literally rips off a scene from THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION and a prior scene to take us there indicates this is a Christian film , though to be fair to the movie it's not really propaganda and doesn't equate atheists as being terrible people and believers as wonderful . It's up to the viewer's interpretation to take a certain scene as literal divine intervention or as a dream . That said the character interaction between Vian and Roland as they work all day together in a kitchen does have a ring of truth to it and the cast are very likable . Just a pity they weren't working with stronger material