Rent Day of the Fight (2023)

Pitt is sensational in a deeply moving meditation on grief & making peace with your past - Day of the Fight review by Timmy B

In 2006, I saw The Dreamers, primarily due to it being Eva Green's 1st role, after seeing her in Casino Royale. And it was an incredible, bold & provocative film, looking at a Ménage à trois between 2 siblings & a naïve but curious American student. But as much as most people will remember it for Green and the copious amounts of nudity/sex she does, for me Michael Pitt was just as brilliant. His role was an extremely risky & bold choice (so much so Jake Gyllenhaal dropped out of the film due to the sexual content,) but he made it so much more than just the wide-eyed, innocent tourist. I had seen him pop up in other stuff, but nothing that particularly interested me.

But then I heard about Day of the Fight, as well as seeing the incredible cast, and was immediately interested. And whilst I haven't seen many boxing movies, I have always loved the way the sport is used as a metaphor for the struggle of the characters, how the underdog who has been forgotten or written off, can triumph against all odds. And whilst some may moan about the clichés, recycled from original boxing films, for me when they are used well, it tells an incredible story.

Mike Flannigan is an almost totally broken boxer, who was a world champion back in the day, but whose life has turned into a living hell. His life choices & arrogance has ruined multiple lives, resulting in time in jail, as well as being reduced to living in a fleapit apartment with only his cat for company. He then scores a wildcard comeback fight & the film looks at his actions on match day as he meets up with & makes amends for his previous transgressions.

This film lives or dies on its central performance, especially as you have to buy into the protagonist, who is at times unbelievably unlikeable. But Pitt is absolutely flawless. This is a towering, emotional sledgehammer of a performance, imbued with nuance & vulnerability. Whilst it is easy to write & almost dismiss, it is clear the commitment to the role Pitt has given: whilst he is in incredible physical shape, you also see the hunger & malnutrition of a man who lives hand-to-mouth. And the weight of guilt he carries is almost back-breaking.

The supporting characters are also great. Whilst I never watched it, for many it will be great to see Pitt & Buscemi back together after Boardwalk Empire. Ron Pearlman is the old-man trainer, who chews up the scenery with glee. There is also powerful work done by Nicolette Robinson as Mike's ex, who has been through a life of hell & pain, watching her boyfriend ruin everything he touched. But the highlight is Joe Pesci, making an extremely rare appearance as Mike's father, who gives a wordless masterclass in acting. The scene they share together is incredible.

Unfortunately, after a flawless build-up, the final fight is actually rather boring & off-key, which is all the more tragic given that Pitt & the other actor REALLY are beating the hell out of each other (the fight was the last thing they filmed, in case one of them got injured.) Unlike in films such as The Fighter & Warrior, where the fights are the incredible payoff you as the audience are waiting for, this fight just doesn't impact in the same way. The ending goes some way to correcting this, but after the events leading up to the brawl, I did wish it had been better choreographed.

However, don't let that put you off seeing this film. It is such an incredible, rich story, with beautiful monochrome cinematography, a real heart and Michael Pitt giving his best performance at its center. An amazing film