I join CTV Atlantic anchor Todd Battis to talk about the stop-motion animated “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl,” the sports drama “The Fire Inside” and the rerelease of “Seven.”
Watch the whole thing HERE!
I join the CTV NewsChannel to talk about the Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown,” the epic “The Brutalist,” the sports drama “The Fire Inside,” the unrelenting evil of “Nosferatu,” the office romance of “Babygirl” and the wild biopic “Better Man.”
Watch the whole thing HERE!
I sit in with CKTB morning show guest host Karl Dockstader to have a look at movies in theatres and streaming including the Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown,” the epic “The Brutalist,” the sports drama “The Fire Inside,” the unrelenting evil of “Nosferatu,” the office romance of “Babygirl” and the wild biopic “Better Man.”
Listen to the whole thing HERE!
Fast reviews for busy people! Watch as I review three movies in less time than it takes to do a high five! Have a look as I race against the clock to tell you about the Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown,” the epic “The Brutalist” and the sports drama “The Fire Inside.”
Watch the whole thing HERE!
SYNOPSIS: “The Fire Inside,” a new sports drama now playing in theatres, is the true story of one of the greatest female boxers of all time, Claressa “T-Rex” Shields, an athlete from Flint, Michigan who became the first woman in American history to win back-to-back Olympic gold medals in the sport.
CAST: Ryan Destiny, Brian Tyree Henry, Oluniké Adeliyi, De’Adre Aziza. Directed by by Rachel Morrison.
REVIEW: “The Fire Inside” is a story of struggle and success set against the world of boxing, but like all good sports movies it’s about so much more than corkscrew punches and bobbing and weaving.
An underdog story, when we first meet Shields (played by Jazmin Headley as a child, by Ryan Destiny as a young adult) she is an eleven-year-old from difficult circumstances looking for an outlet for the rage and frustration that plague her. She lands at the Berston Field House, a community centre where former boxer Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry) takes her under his wing.
Six years later, with his training, Shields becomes the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in boxing.
Cue the fist in the air and end credits.
Except that’s only part of the story. Most sports movies stop after the big game, or in this case match, but “The Fire Inside’s” script by Oscar winner Barry Jenkins deepens the movie by detailing Shields’s struggle post her first big win.
It’s a story of inequality—she is paid less in expenses than her male counterparts—and professional setbacks—no endorsement deals came after she medalled—that threatened to sink her personally and professionally. It’s here the specific story of a Flint, Michigan boxer becomes a universal tale of fulfilling your dreams, of overcoming obstacles and never saying no, despite the naysayers.
Cinematographer-turned-director Rachel Morrison does sturdy, propulsive work in her directorial feature film debut, vividly evoking the disappointment of what happens when glory fades and the fight for survival must continue.
“The Fire Inside” is a rousing, inspirational, heart-on-its-sleeve story of trauma and grit, with terrific performances from Destiny, whose ferociousness covers her hurt, and Henry, who radiates warmth and encouragement. It’s a sports movie with a twist, one that defies the usual triumphant formula to go deep and reveal the price of success and failure.
