I don’t like boxing fight so I don’t like movie about boxing fighters too…but after 2 minutes in front of a big screen I was deeply in love already with Bleed For This…and I think that I’d even stop my review here, because if a movie has a power like this, well, to say it in Vinny words: “It’s f****ing it!”
An outstanding Miles Teller is The Pazmanian Devil, Vinny Paz, aka Pazienza; an Italo-American fighter. He is a junior welterweight who takes sport seriously only in the spoiled opportunities it gives to him: he spends nights before matches at the Casinò loosing money, drinking and making-out with his easy-going spoiled girlfriend.
When Mike Tyson’s legendary trainer Kevin Rooney (Aaron Eckhart) proposes to Paz to move up one weight class, against all other Vinny inner circle ( including his manager Lou Douva, played by Ted Levine), Pazienza becomes easily a star beating also the number one Roberto Duran.
But in a car-crash, he survives with a miracle and his spine is seriously damaged. The diagnosis is clear: no more fight for The Pazmanian Devil, ever also because he’ll probably never walk again. He has to wear a “halo” made of steel and sit on a special device. But Paz know that give up in life is too easy so he decides to set up secret training sessions with Rooney, in his parents basement.
Ben Younger, behind the camera, starts to tell with enchanting poetry, sweat and tears one of the most , sorry, the most extraordinary and unbelievable comeback in sport history.
“You know, Kev, I’m getting pretty sick of people talking about me like I’m dead. Like I died in that car wreck. Like it’s just over for me” ( Vinny Pazienza)
STARS: ♠♠♠♠
UK release: 2nd December 2016
Drive In Magazine 