Bruised (2021)

[Drunk Monk]

Halle’s MMA tour de force. Or an effort to be such.

It’s another reluctant loser fighter given their shot at the title. I don’t know why boxing & MMA films follow this stereotype. I know plenty of pro fighters and have been to lots of live fights and it just don’t work that way. There’s a lot of problems with this story.

Trivia - the opening montage of women’s MMA fights - I was at one of those. 

That being said, Halle delivers a solid performance. And she can sell a punch surprisingly well. Her opponent is real UFC flyweight champ Valentina Shevchenko and the end fight is okay - absurd MMA choreo but amusing. Halle looked strong although skinny compared to Valentina’s thickness. 

It’s a big fat ad for UFC, Invicta & Nike.

The drama is uneven and overdone. Although well acted, there were too many inconsistencies for me to suspend belief to go the distance. 

Nevertheless it had some moments. I liked her coach, Buddakhan. And the kid was cute. 

Trivia - Blake Lively was originally cast as the lead but left the project to rendezvous with DM in Dublin {to film a scene for The Rhythm Section adjacent to St Stephen’s Green where DM stayed on his last trip to the Badlands - and the scene was cut} Blake would’ve done a completely different film. Halle made this very African American, which was one of the better aspects of this film.

Ultimately this failed for me because I know the right game too well...and I don’t really know it that well, but the ol’ reluctant loser fighter is a trope that’s so tiresome to me.

More trivia - Flo Milli has a track and I just saw her at OSL.

Not D00M recommended unless you’re into Halle being unglamorous (like the title says, she’s bruised all the way through with big shiners on her eyes during most of the film) 

Fast forward to the final fight.

[Greg]

I was thinking of catching this and now I'm not.

[Drunk Monk]

I'd be interested in your take actually. Maybe this is a decent film and I'm just too jaded about reluctant loser fighter flicks. Then again, I know how you dislike inconsistencies in screenwriting, and this has a lot of those. 

I'm also sore that I couldn't sell Den a piece on this. I could've written it so easily out of notes I have on KFM. And now it's in the NF top 10. 

I did think Halle's performance was good overall. If I could just let go of the fight game aspect and view this as total fantasy (which it was) I'd like it better.

[Greg]

Ms. Berry directed this one as well.

I might still catch it. The one last big fight thing always gets me.

[King Bob]

She was on Graham Norton and talked a little about this. It sounded like a vanity project to me.

[Drunk Monk]

Ms. Berry directed this one as well.

I might still catch it. The one last big fight thing always gets me.

 
Yup. She does okay directorial - it's just the story that's annoying...and that may just be me. It's like when you see a crappy set. 

The finale fight is pretty good as MMA choreo goes - oversimplified and not realistic ironically, but gripping and not just in a grappling sort of way. 

She was on Graham Norton and talked a little about this. It sounded like a vanity project to me.

Yeah, kinda. Whenever you star and direct, it's vanity, amirite? But she's earned it. She remains a solid actress and handles action well (we'll overlook Catwoman).

[Drunk Monk]

Halle is getting Oscar buzz for this now. 

I stand firm about my disdain for reluctant loser fighter tropes. Bottom line: you gotta have balls to be a pro fighter. Massive balls. Balls so big that there’s no room for reluctance. 

But if there were reluctant fighters, Halle portrays Jackie Justice with a tour de force performance.