Michael Pitt Grounds a Moving Showcase of Regret and Redemption in the Ring

There’s something naturally beautiful about the sport of boxing. At the end of the day, beyond the lights and crowds and cameras, the simplicity of the one-on-one contest is a picture-perfect metaphor for so many complex human situations and to plumb the depths of character psychology. Contests against adversity, overcoming one’s limitations, battling personal demons: it’s elegant and deep, tactical and violent at the same time. The high-stakes nature of the competition also makes the sport an excellent venue for unbelievable stories and bizarre accomplishments (like the legendary round Willie Pep supposedly won without throwing a punch, which apparently can’t be corroborated), and the most surprising come-from-behind victories.

From Alfred Hitchcock‘s The Ring to Martin Scorsese’s Raging Bull, Michael Mann‘s Ali, Clint Eastwood‘s Million Dollar Baby, Ron Howard‘s Cinderella Man, Antoine Fuqua‘s Southpaw, even Stanley Kubrick‘s short doc Day of the Fight (with whom this film shares a title), boxing is a perfect, raw canvas to interrogate the deepest elements of a character beyond the action and the violence. Jack Huston‘s Day of the Fight is an elegantly simple and emotional tale about an ex-con boxer’s struggle to square the past, whose simplicity gives way to an excellent, emotionally layered performance from star Michael Pitt.

What is ‘Day of the Fight’ About?

In Day of the Fight, Pitt stars as Mikey “Irish” Flannigan, a newly freed ex-con and formerly celebrated boxer trying to make peace with his past before his first fight since his release. In the process, he reconnects with his ex Jessica (Nicolette Robinson), his longtime trainer (Ron Perlman), and gets real with his abusive musician father Tony (Joe Pesci) as he prepares for the biggest night of his life, risking it all for a chance at redemption.

Day of the Fight is a simple story. It isn’t full of surprises, but it successfully manages to be full of emotion. Pitt shines as the down-on-his-luck protagonist, playing Mikey with deep pain, and regret over his role in the events that sent him to prison (and the person he was leading up to that moment). It’s a moving performance, full of subtlety and pathos as he puts it all on the line to make things right. Or try to, anyhow. Nicolette Robinson is great as his wronged but warm ex Jessica, while Ron Perlman makes for one hell of a solid trainer. The film is also stacked with seasoned players, such as Steve Buscemi and Joe Pesci, who are memorable even in bit roles. It’s a fine cast, anchored by Pitt’s multifaceted performance.

‘Day of the Fight’ Is A Beautifully Simple Tour of Regret and Redemption

It’s a film designed to evoke that longer, earlier tradition of boxing movies, with gorgeous, simple, precise black-and-white cinematography by Peter Simonite. There aren’t huge set pieces here, and there are no gimmicks. Instead, a lot of close-ups highlighting character subjectivity, and one-on-one conversations in tight focus. The classic, simple score would fit just as easily in the 1940s as it does here, all factors working to establish a singular tone and build towards the fateful fight. What it’s trying to do is a little telegraphed for viewers versed in these sorts of films, but it remains effective and gorgeous to look at.

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The heavy hitters.

It’s an engaging film centering around a strong performance, but the difficulty with films that are so elegantly simple is that every element comes acutely into focus. The narrative largely works and builds towards a strong finale, but it is telegraphed and feels familiar to a relevant degree. The execution of the final fight’s choreography is a mixed bag… Michael Hall looks, punches, and moves believably in the ring (he actually pushed to have a real fight in the film), but some of his opposition’s punches don’t hit the form of a proper contender. Small details aside, it’s a beautiful, elegant outing built around a strong central performance and a solid directorial debut from Jack Huston.

The Self-Sacrifice Inherent to Boxing Hits Home In ‘Day of the Fight’

To be a top contender in any sport necessarily involves a degree of self-sacrifice. Time, leisure, and sometimes friends and family can often fall to the wayside in the pursuit of athletic excellence. In boxing, like any sport that involves greater levels of bodily harm (MMA, football, and so on), that element of self-sacrifice is far more direct. To box is to accept bodily harm. Sure, the greats manage to hit more effectively than they get hit, but there’s always a massive risk accompanying every visit to the ring. There’s always a level of self-sacrifice. Day of the Fight captures this notion beautifully as our protagonist puts himself on the line to claw out any degree of victory from the jaws of defeat that his life is caught in. It may not feel fully original, and some moments could be honed, but it’s a solid, visually gorgeous outing from Huston anchored by an excellent central performance from Michael Pitt.

Day of the Fight is now playing in theaters.

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Day of the Fight

‘Day of the Fight’ rings a little too close to boxing films that have gone before, but its beautiful cinematography and a great central performance from Michael Pitt amount to an elegant, emotional directorial debut.

Day of the Fight follows a former renowned boxer as he navigates a journey of redemption through his past and present on the day of his first fight since being released from prison.

Pros

• Michael Pitt gives an excellent, emotionally raw and layered performance as the ex-con protagonist giving it all to right wrongs.
• The simple black and white cinematography beautifully captures light and shadow, creating a strong experience evoking boxing film history.
• While the narrative is a simple one, a strong set of performances across the board and a script that largely works deliver emotion where it counts.

Cons

• Certain moments seem too clearly telegraphed in their efforts to evoke emotion or hit particular narrative beats, and could use added detail and nuance.

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