10 Brilliant Characters Trapped In Terrible Movies

Southpaw is the kind of by-the-books sports drama where you know exactly what's going to happen, how it's going to end and what obstacles the characters will have to face. It's unoriginal bordering on boring, let-down by its generic script and spoiler-filled trailer.

But at the centre of it all is Jake Gyllenhaal, who as ever offers up a remarkable performance as star boxer-turned-broken-widower Billy Hope. Not only did Gyllenhaal get ripped for the role and put in some serious hours to get himself into boxer-fit shape, but he seems to be the only person involved in the film who actually cares about what's going on.

Billy is a deeply complex figure, driven by his ego, then his heartbreak, then the love he has for his daughter, and watching him go through the struggles of parenthood, addiction and mourning makes for great viewing.

In the end, though, Billy is all the film has going for it. It's a striking character study, but the plot around him moves with dull predictability.