Rotten Tomatoes Score: 59% (5.9/10) Box Office: Made for just $25 million (impressive considering the talent involved), Southpaw has already made 75% of its budget back (thanks to its over-performance in its opening weekend), so will do just fine in the long run. The Verdict: It may be heavily cliched and at times really quite ridiculous, but it's a testament to Jake Gyllenhaal's exceptional performance that none of this really matters all that much. He hurls himself into the role of a troubled boxer desperate for a comeback, and characteristically, he's as reliably brilliant as you'd expect. Performances from young Oona Laurence and Forest Whitaker also add plenty of gravitas to proceedings, and though the end of the story is known from practically the minute the movie begins, it's easy to get wrapped up in it nevertheless due to Antoine Fuqua's stylish work behind the camera and Gyllenhaal's sublime show in front of it.
Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes).
General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.
