cinemadiso's - Best Sport Themed Films Vol. 1 List
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Raging Bull (1980)The Life of Jake La Motta
"Raging Bull" is arguably the finest work from the Scorsese and De Niro partnership. De Niro gives and amazing portrayal of a man whose animal side lurks just beneath the surface, ever ready to erupt. Vivid and unremitting in its uncompromising brutality and honesty, the fight sequences are famed for their realism. Violent throughout, this film is a testament to Scorsese's and De Niro's skills, creating a thoroughly absorbing film about such an unlikable character. Renowned for throwing himself into the roles of his character, De Niro went on a diet to gain fifty pounds during production for the role of the faded star. - Director:
- Martin Scorsese
- Cast:
- Robert De Niro, Ted Husing, Cathy Moriarty
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Rocco and His Brothers (1960)Rocco e i suoi fratelli
A tight-knit family moves from Italy's rural south to metropolitan Milan. The shock of the new is violent and immediate. A mother meddles. A whore beguiles. Brother faces brother. Blood-ties come undone. We pity beatific Rocco (played by the immortal Alain Delon in a role specially written for him) and Nadia the harlot (Annie Girardot, capricious and scintillating) - the modern condition has shattered their lives. - Director:
- Luchino Visconti
- Cast:
- Alain Delon, Renato Salvatori, Annie Girardot
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In the wake of a painful estrangement from his daughter, boxing trainer Frankie Dunn has been unwilling to let himself get close to anyone for a very long time - then Maggie Fitzgerald walks into his gym. In a life of constant struggle, Maggie's gotten herself this far on raw talent, unshakable focus and a tremendous force of will. But more than anything, she wants someone to believe in her. The last thing Frankie needs is that kind of responsibility - let alone that kind of risk - but won over by Maggie's sheer determination, he begrudgingly agrees to take her on. In turns exasperating and inspiring each other, the two come to discover that they share a common spirit that transcends the pain and loss of their pasts, and they find in each other a sense of family they lost long ago. Yet, they both face a battle that will demand more heart and courage than any they've ever known. - Director:
- Clint Eastwood
- Cast:
- Hilary Swank, Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman
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Paul Newman heads a superb cast featuring Jackie Gleason, George C. Scott and Piper Laurie in this riveting film that received an Academy Award nomination as Best Picture of 1961 and brought all four of its stars Oscar nominations. Newman is electrifying as Fast Eddie Felson, an arrogant, amoral hustler who haunts back street pool rooms fleecing anyone who'll pick up a cue. Determined to be acclaimed as the best, Eddie seeks out the legendary Minnesota Fats, who's backed by Bert Gordon. The love of a lonely woman could turn Eddie's life around, but he won't rest until he bests Minnesota Fats, no matter what price he must pay. - Director:
- Robert Rossen
- Cast:
- Paul Newman, Jackie Gleason, Piper Laurie
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Back in the late '80s, Randy "The Ram" Robinson (Mickey Rourke) was a headlining professional wrestler. Now, twenty years later, he ekes out a living performing for handfuls of diehard wrestling fans in high school gyms and community centers around New Jersey. Estranged from his daughter (Evan Rachel Wood) and unable to sustain any real relationships, Randy lives for the thrill of the show and the adoration of his fans. However, a heart attack forces him into retirement. As his sense of identity starts to slip away, he begins to evaluate the state of his life - trying to reconnect with his daughter, and striking up a romance with an aging stripper (Marisa Tomei). Yet all this cannot compare to the allure of the ring and passion for his art, which threatens to pull Randy "The Ram" back in. - Director:
- Darren Aronofsky
- Cast:
- Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood
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This is the film that catapulted Sylvester Stallone into the international spotlight and launched one of the most successful series of films in movie history, This is the story of a loser, a two bit boxer from Philadelphia, who gets a second chance in life by being offered an impossible shot at the heavyweight title. Stallone's performance is as powerful as his character's punches in the ring. This is one of the most exciting action movies you will ever see. Rocky is the simple story of a man whom fate chooses for a shot at glory in what has otherwise been an ordinary life. And while this subject matter is nothing new, it was unusual for Hollywood to release an old-fashioned 'feel-good' movie in the seventies, a decade whose films were mostly unconventional in attitude and anti-establishment in tone. Rocky is, of course, a fairy tale, but by grounding its characters in an everyday reality, the filmmakers were able to make them seem real and alive. And making the major contribution to that sense of reality was Sylvester Stallone, an out-of-work actor/writer whose faith in himself took him from utter obscurity to world-wide fame and fortune virtually overnight..... - Director:
- John G. Avildsen
- Cast:
- Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young
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Richard Widmark delivers an indelible performance as Harry Fabian, a small-time American nightclub tout and desperate dreamer who tries to worm his way into the wrestling rackets of post-war London. In his path lie the formidable obstacles posed by a vengeful club owner (Francis Sullivan) and the racketeer Kristo (Herbert Lorn). The club owner's sultry wife (Googie Withers) schemes with him, and a long-suffering girlfriend (Gene Tierney) does her best to save him. Like many a noir hero before him, Harry thinks he can outrun his fate. He's wrong. Jules Dassin, under suspicion in Hollywood for his political beliefs, made the film at great speed, shooting night scenes in a London still shattered and skeletal from wartime bombings. - Director:
- Jules Dassin
- Cast:
- Richard Widmark, Gene Tierney, Googie Withers
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Struggling boxer Micky Ward has long been overshadowed by his older brother and trainer, Dicky, a local legend who is now battling his own demons. The explosive relationship of these brothers threatens to take them both down but at the heart of this story is a bond of blood that may just be their only chance of redemption. - Director:
- David O. Russell
- Cast:
- Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams
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Russell Crowe and Rene Zellweger team with director Ron Howard to deliver one of the years most critically acclaimed motion picture triumphs! It's the extraordinary true story of a destitute prizefighter Russel Crowe who gets another chance at the world heavyweight title... and through his heroic battle for redemption inspires the masses! - Director:
- Ron Howard
- Cast:
- Russell Crowe, Renée Zellweger, Craig Bierko
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After a lifetime of perfecting his classic Indian motorcycle, Burt sets off from the bottom of the world to test his bike at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. With all the odds against him, he set a new speed record and captured the spirit of his times. Burt Munro's 1967 world record remains unbroken and his legend lives on today. - Director:
- Roger Donaldson
- Cast:
- Anthony Hopkins, Diane Ladd, Iain Rea
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Body and Soul (1947)Body & Soul
Charlie Davis (John Garfield), a boxer from New York's East Side, has fought his way out of the slums to become a world title holder, but has sold his soul along the way. Under the ownership of a corrupt promoter he is about to defend his crown and must face the biggest decision of his life if he is to redeem himself. When making 'Raging Bull', Martin Scorsese insisted Robert De Niro watch 'Body and Soul'. Robert Rossen's original boxing classic introduced a gritty, uncompromising realism to the fight sequences which would only be matched by Scorsese, some 33 years later. - Director:
- Robert Rossen
- Cast:
- John Garfield, Lilli Palmer, Hazel Brooks
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'Iqbal is a movie about bravery and the willingness to follow your dream in the face of adversity. The enchanting film is set against the backdrop of the national obsession Cricket! Iqbal is an 18-year old deaf and dumb boy who lives in the tiny town of Kolipad. Iqbal harbors but one dream to make it to the Indian cricket team! Unable to attend any kind of vocational school, Iqbal spends his time grazing his father's buffalos (all of whom are named after famous cricket players), bowling on a makeshift pitch by himself and dreaming that one day with Guruji's help he will make the national team. Iqbal's father hates cricket believing it to be a total waste of time. His mother however, helps him to meet Guruji and is accepted in to the academy. But problems arise when the other wealthier kids have an issue with a poor farmer's kid stealing the glory. This conflict leads to Iqbal being thrown out of the academy. A shattered Iqbal picks up the pieces and enlists the help of the town drunk Mohit, who once upon a time was a promising cricketer, to coach him. And their journey begins towards the seemingly insurmountable goal of making the national team. - Director:
- Nagesh Kukunoor
- Cast:
- Naseeruddin Shah, Girish Karnad, Shreyas Talpade
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Journeyman boxer Stoker Thompson (Robert Ryan) thinks that he has one last good fight in him in order to get a payout and retire from the ring. His wife Julie (Audrey Trotter) pleads for him to quit whilst his manager Tiny (George Tobias) is so convinced that his man is going to lose that he has taken money from the mob in exchange for his man taking a 'dive'. Unaware that his manager has double-crossed him and that he will be a target for the mob if he wins, Stoker strains every sinew of his raw courage to knock out his opponent. - Director:
- Robert Wise
- Cast:
- Robert Ryan, Audrey Totter, George Tobias
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Passion, temptation and obsession explode in this sexy, stylish thriller which charts a young man's rise in society and the terrible consequences of his ambition. The protagonist Chris (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) is torn between two women, and on finding no way out, resorts to extreme action. Nola (Scarlett Johansson) is the beautiful struggling American actress who comes between Chris and his rich wife Chloe (Emily Mortimer). - Director:
- Woody Allen
- Cast:
- Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Emily Mortimer
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Miner Frank Machin (Richard Harris) lodges with a widow, Mrs. Hammond (Rachel Roberts). His competitive nature and powerful physique lead him to join the local rugby team and, as his career progresses, so too his brutal nature distances him from those around him. Success - and perhaps a new sense of insecurity - seems to make Frank harsher and cruder... - Director:
- Lindsay Anderson
- Cast:
- Richard Harris, Rachel Roberts, Alan Badel
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