Spring Break
REVIEW: Tatum shines in 'Fighting'
3 out of 5 stars
Paresh Jha
Issue date: 4/28/09 Section: Focus
There are certain films that do not necessarily break conventions or defy expectations, but still manage to maintain a certain charm. Recent films like "Fast and Furious" fit that mold, and in that case it was simply the action and cool factor of the movie. In the case of this past weekend's "Fighting," it has to be the strong performances, most notably by Channing Tatum and Terrence Howard.
The story centers on Shawn (Tatum) as he is recruited into an illegal street fighting club in Manhattan for some big time cash. Shawn is a short-tempered guy from Alabama with a polite yet somewhat na've attitude. Thanks to his background as a former school wrestler and courageous mentality, he manages to create a name for himself rather quickly. Howard plays Harvey, who acts as Shawn's ironically passive fight promoter. Shawn eventually meets a woman by the name of Zulay Henao, a single mother working as a waitress. Romance sparks and the typical plot unfolds. While the story and dialogue are a bit disappointing, director Dito Montiel manages to really get his actors to flesh out characters on-screen.
Howard brings in a their nuanced portrayal of Harvey. He is the only character in this world to be anti-aggressive, even though his livelihood depends on individuals beating the snot out of each other. Howard works through those layers of his character to an expected climax, but the execution is really what shines. Henao also brings an integrity to her character. Montiel shows great restraint in the love story by not having them jump into the sack right away. He waits it out and has the audience actually get involved in their relationship, as opposed to simply making us wonder how they fell in love so fast.
All that aside, it is Tatum that really makes this movie work. He is the lead actor and he clearly wanted the audience to know this. He is not just sincere and convincing as the southern boy turned street brawler but he also manages to hold his own with Howard, a veteran Oscar-nominated actor. Surprisingly, it is actually Tatum's sensitivity that makes "Fighting" a more involved film. We all realize how the movie is supposed to end and what is going to happen, but thanks to Tatum's performance, we are still in the moment and leave the theater thoroughly satisfied.
The story centers on Shawn (Tatum) as he is recruited into an illegal street fighting club in Manhattan for some big time cash. Shawn is a short-tempered guy from Alabama with a polite yet somewhat na've attitude. Thanks to his background as a former school wrestler and courageous mentality, he manages to create a name for himself rather quickly. Howard plays Harvey, who acts as Shawn's ironically passive fight promoter. Shawn eventually meets a woman by the name of Zulay Henao, a single mother working as a waitress. Romance sparks and the typical plot unfolds. While the story and dialogue are a bit disappointing, director Dito Montiel manages to really get his actors to flesh out characters on-screen.
Howard brings in a their nuanced portrayal of Harvey. He is the only character in this world to be anti-aggressive, even though his livelihood depends on individuals beating the snot out of each other. Howard works through those layers of his character to an expected climax, but the execution is really what shines. Henao also brings an integrity to her character. Montiel shows great restraint in the love story by not having them jump into the sack right away. He waits it out and has the audience actually get involved in their relationship, as opposed to simply making us wonder how they fell in love so fast.
All that aside, it is Tatum that really makes this movie work. He is the lead actor and he clearly wanted the audience to know this. He is not just sincere and convincing as the southern boy turned street brawler but he also manages to hold his own with Howard, a veteran Oscar-nominated actor. Surprisingly, it is actually Tatum's sensitivity that makes "Fighting" a more involved film. We all realize how the movie is supposed to end and what is going to happen, but thanks to Tatum's performance, we are still in the moment and leave the theater thoroughly satisfied.
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