Southpaw is kind of like Raging Bull, but not quite as good. It features the champion, self-destructive brutish boxer who inadvertently pushes his family away. Jake Gyllenhaal undergoes a total transformation, highly committed to his role. He looks like a bloody mess spiraling out of control in and out of the ring. Forest Whitaker makes an excellent trainer, but is kind of stereotypical in his role. All movie boxing trainers are kind of similar. But who really surprised me was 50 Cent, who plays the manager. 50 Cent is not just a rapper--his acting was pretty convincing. But in reality, he was playing a businessman and 50 Cent has been doing business for decades. And 50 Cent was discovered by Eminem, who produced the soundtrack. And you can hear his influence throughout the movie.
