The Boxer

Many of my Irish friends, and there are a lot of them, have some serious problems with this film, one of the biggest being director Jim Sheridan using another city to depict Belfast. I've never been there so I don't have this issue, nor do I profess to understand the problems in Belfast...I'm not so sure anybody really understands them. That aside, THE BOXER is one hell of a depressing drama...so bloody depressing and I had to check twice to make sure Alan Parker didn't direct it. Both Daniel Day-Lewis (who seems to have been in every damn film I've watched in the last while) and Emily Watson (who also seems to have been in every damn film I've watched in the last while) are excellent but the real performance surprise here is Brian Cox. I've always liked him but he usually get's roles that require little of him, here in THE BOXER he has a character he can sink his teeth into and the rewards are great. Again, a good little drama even if on the dark side....by the way...it has very little to do with boxing.