fredtee I like the scene in, I presume, Great Britain, where the Rich and Famous immaculately dressed with excited young gorgeous women sip champagne seated at candelabra-lighted dining tables watching the boxing match in the center of the room. Danny Flynn, the white guy beats the black guy (no name) to a bloody pulp, but the referee will not stop the fight. Disgusted, Danny Flynn leaves the ring, while some obviously important guy yells out, "you'll never fight here again."It is an interesting and not-so-subtle commentary on discrimination in British High Society, while the Northern Irish religious-sectarian war, the focus of the film, drags on.

namashi_1 Jim Sheridan & Daniel Day-Lewis make magnificent cinema together. 'My Left Foot' and 'In The Name Of The Father' were amongst the finest films of their time. 'The Boxer' which is their third collaboration together, is a yet another winner from this duo.'The Boxer' tells the story of two lovers, who are separated in violent world. The Screenplay basically centers on the life of a boxer and former Provisional IRA Volunteer, who is trying to "go straight" after his release from prison.The film begins slow, but gathers momentum post 30-minutes. The second hour is superb. The Screenplay is dark and hard-hitting. Jim Sheridan has directed the film with absolute understanding. Cinematography by Chris Menges is perfect. Editing is passable.Performance-Wise: Daniel Day-Lewis is remarkable, yet again. The Oscar-Winner plays a Boxer with unmatchable ease. Emily Watson is awesome. Brian Cox is good. Ken Stott & Gerard McSorley are fine.On the whole, A Very Well Made Film, that surely deserves a watch. Recommended!

Chrysanthepop Sheridan's 'The Boxer' is far more complex than his other films like 'In The Name of The Father', 'My Left Foot' and 'In America'. The story revolves around a neighborhood of ordinary (and not-so-ordinary people) living in a troubled Northern Ireland. Sheridan successfully depicts the problem from both sides. One witnesses how difficult it is to lead a normal life in peace as this will be looked down upon and even used against you. The use of washed out colour gives a gloomy and depressing feel, and ironically also shows the weather. But, contradicting that Sheridan also skillfully portrays the love, devotion and hope of the people.Fine performances are almost always expected from Sheridan's films and here too the actors do an outstanding job. Daniel Day-Lewis is superb. His restraint reflects Danny's calm dignity and he is very convincing as the man who recognizes a second opportunity in life and tries to make the better of it. Emily Watson is sublime. Her quiet portrayal of Maggie's strength, pride, courage and vulnerability is spot on. Brian Cox is stupendous. Gerard McSorley proves again how wickedly good he can be when it comes to playing menacing characters. Ken Stott is excellent.I feel the reason why 'The Boxer' is so underrated and not as highly regarded as Sheridan's other films is because it's far more complicated than what they're used to seeing. However, in my opinion, this is just as effective as Scorsese's 'Raging Bull' and better than the likes of 'Rocky.

Peter Hayes A former IRA man gets out of the can after 14 years and tries to rebuild his life in his old rundown Belfast neighbourhood.This is a film that tries to cover a lot of ground and get a lot in. It has natural dramatic plus points in being set in a community that has been wrecked by civil war but has the hope of a new dawn. If only people would let it rise.Prison does a lot to people. It is like a virus. It wears people down and changes them. Makes them harder and sexless. This is well portrayed in this movie. Boyle (Day-Lewis) has been inside almost all his adult life and is immature, but well contained.Boxing is not the heart of this movie -- indeed it could live without it completely. It gives a dramatic centre, while the real drama is elsewhere and the message is not contained in the punches. In lots of ways it is a ticket selling con.Director Jim Sheridan (My Left Foot/In The Name of the Father) has done well with the limited material that forms the script. He uses a cool blue to replace the cold grey of the real Belfast. This prevents the place looking as dreadful as it really is and losing the audience.Ken Stott plays an alcoholic boxing trainer who has a good heart and wants for the best. Sadly I don't put great store in men that decide they want to live their life in a stupor. Stott is a good actor though.There is also a love story in this movie with Day-Lewis starting top pick up the pieces with his old flame Emily Watson. However the situation is complicated as her close relations don't fully approve (for reasons I don't want to go in to here.)Any film that involves boxing has to nod to films like Rocky and Raging Bull -- and this film acknowledges it without borrowing too much. Indeed this is not really a boxing picture (as I said before) more a film about a man that uses boxing as he has very little else to cling on to.The real weak point is the way ex-terrorist Danny (Lewis) is welcomed back and made a hero out of. Wouldn't his criminal record not prevent him from being welcome on the British mainland? Equally how good a boxer is he? Can't tell from the evidence here. Also you need a license to box in the UK -- and these are not handed out willy-nilly.Small quibbles aside The Boxer is a better film than I thought it would be. It doesn't rub my nose in it any longer than necessary and all the thing really needs is something to climax on. What they come up with here is pretty weak and open.