Northwest Film Forum

Boxing is a sport of contradictions. It can be bloody, hurtful and cruel, but at the same time it requires dedication, discipline, focus, a grueling work ethic, sacrifice, conditioning and ferocious demands on the body and mind. It’s no wonder then that pioneering verité filmmaker Fredrick Wiseman (La Danse) turns his lens on the subject.

Set in and around Lord's Boxing Gym in Austin, Texas, Wiseman’s film proves plenty beefy in visual content, lingering on the dynamic training exercises of athletes from all age groups and walks of life. Adhering to the auteur's trademark fly-on-the-wall style, Wiseman presents us with one of his most meditative films, focused above all on the hypnotic repetitions of a training regimen.

J Hoberman from the VOICE calls the film "A knockout!" and says it belongs at the head of the class of boxing films including Rocky, When We Were Kings and Million Dollar Baby. Click here for the review.
 
And TimeOut New York gives the film its highest possible rating (5 out of 5 stars) while listing it as both Critics Pick AND Film of the Week. You can view it here

"Mesmerizing...It’s especially easy to get swept up by the beats in the film because Mr. Wiseman, among the most celebrated direct-cinema practitioners, eschews voiceovers, talking-head interviews, extraneous footage and the customary and sometimes superfluous like.  This kind of fly-on-the-wall style of documentary can create a sense that you’re watching the unmediated truth, a fantasy belied by every camera position and each edit." —NY Times

Watch the trailer
Visit the official website

Screens with:
Cover (Gretchen Burger, 2010, DV, 5 min)

 
Join us after the 9pm show on Friday, November 12 for a special Q&A with Cappy, owner of Cappy's Boxing Gym and star of the short film Cover!