'Bleed for This' Review

Image from True View

By Darian Scalamoni

            I’m a huge fan of boxing movies. Maybe it’s the drama, the sport element or just the fact that you get to (most of the time) see a comeback story in which the protagonist wins a match that they should rightfully never win. Bleed for This is another movie that yes, follows the same tropes but rather than an injury in the ring due to age or showing off, Vinny Pazienza was involved in a brutal car accident which left him with massive neck and spinal injuries. Instead of opting for a surgical procedure in which the doctors can promise he’ll walk again, he instead opts for Halo surgery in which they place screws in the skull along with an iron stabilizer to straighten out his neck and spine.

            What a remarkable premise and true story about the legendary “Pazmanian Devil”. I will say one thing, the tragic nature of the crash and after effects for a man who truly has one passion in life makes it a hard watch at times. Miles Teller’s portrayal of Pazienza is truly a solid one, though not one that could garner him an awards nomination in my opinion. The character calls for an at times colorful personality that Teller has played multiple times previously in his career, but it’s the dramatic sense that you truly see that the up-and-coming actor inhibits another side that we’ve only seen in another film, Whiplash. The film is filled with great performances though, as Aaron Eckhart does a great job as Pazienza’s alcholic trainer, Kevin Rooney. The trainer who trained boxing great, Mike Tyson was set to do the impossible and help Pazienza win a world title, and that’s before the accident. The two form a friendship and bond that’s truly a trope in other boxing films. It reminded me a lot of the relationship between Russell Crowe and Paul Giamatti in Cinderella Man. Ciaran Hinds is also tremendous in the movie as Pazienza’s father, Angelo. A character who just wants to see his son take charge of the boxing world and be on top, once the accident temporarily cripples his son, he inhibits a different system of beliefs on how much Vinny can push his mind and body. It’s an authentic portrayal of a father who gets caught up in all of the hoopla of his son being a superstar just to have a reality check as quick as the snap of a finger.

            One big negative about the movie though is the cinematography. Throughout the movie has a bit of a grain of it to show that the movie is taking place in the 80s and it sometimes is a distraction but its more the boxing scenes that suffer. After the previous boxing film I had seen, Creed had revolutionary shots in which it actually made you feel like you were in the ring with Adonis and his opponents, Paz’s fight scenes made it seem that whoever was behind the camera clearly didn’t know how to film a boxing movie. The camera is constantly bumping into bodies and providing awkward close ups that don’t work. It becomes repetitive and actually bothered me. I wanted to get past the boxing scenes and get back to the narrative with the characters.

            Yes, it’s a boxing movie with a different take since the temporary paralysis but when you see what Pazienza accomplished in the credit sequences, it’s clear to see that Teller did his all to get that true portrayal across on screen and he succeeds. It’s a predictable movie and isn’t as well made as other recent greats like Creed but has a formula that is similar to David O. Russell’s, The Fighter. Having said that, it’s not a movie that will provide you with an experience as good as that movie should’ve. The direction of the movie is solid but nothing to praise on a massive scale. Ben Younger does a good job of providing the audience with a solid boxing movie that packs all the normal punches sprinkling in some great acting and a decent script.

7.5/10