“Based on a true story.”
Whenever those five words appear on a black screen before a movie’s opening credits, I can’t help but feel a small amount of caution. Sure, there are some great movies that are based on true stories; recent movies such as Loving and even The Big Short demonstrate this. But more often, it seems as if “based on a true story” is simply used as an excuse to create unnecessarily dramatic movies for the sole purpose of being dramatic. They’re marketed as outstanding feats that should be met with awe, for no other reason than because what occurs on screen in some way actually happened. Some true stories turn out to be truly great, while others turn into complete duds.
In the case of Bleed For This, Vinny Pazienza’s story falls somewhere in the middle.
Bleed For This tells the comeback story of Vinny Pazienza (Miles Teller), world champion boxer who broke his neck in a near-fatal car accident. After being told he may never be able to walk again, let alone fight again, he seeks the help of former trainer Kevin Rooney (Aaron Eckhart) to get him back out swinging.
This movie has the potential to be a complete knockout, but instead falls a little flat. Teller is amazing as Vinny, boasting self-confidence and arrogant pride in practically every moment. Likewise, the story itself is geared to be a hit; after all, if there’s one thing people love more than a boxing movie, it’s a boxing movie with a good comeback story thrown in for good measure.
There should have been very few ways in which to botch the momentum of the movie, yet somehow writer and director Ben Younger managed to do so. It has no peak, no high-intensity moment. The story simply refuses to build. The audience witnesses Vinny’s first loss, and his sequential World Championship win, but after his injury we have little reason to want him to get back in the ring. It seems like there’s nothing on the line, no stakes to be had. A good comeback story requires the audience to actually want the lead to come back. In this case, all that’s there is indifference.
Although the momentum of the movie is off-kilter, the film isn’t necessarily bad. The multitude of comedic moments throughout the film are a pleasant surprise. One of my main complaints about sports movies in general is the air of superiority that usually accompanies them. In Bleed For This, it seems as though the writers go out of their way to make sure audience members can still identify with the characters, even while they take on unfamiliar challenges. The use of comedy also stays true to Vinny’s character, who at 28 was still relatively young and light-hearted when he suffered his neck injury.
Even though the use of comedy is great, the best part of the movie is the amount of effort Younger puts into the audio aspects of the film. Sound throughout this movie is highly emphasized, and, quite honestly, it’s what makes the story interesting. In one moment when Vinny gets hit, all of a sudden every single sound goes silent except for an unnaturally high tone. Later during a match, the only thing the audience can hear is the slap of boxing gloves against skin. Instead of spending time perfecting how each shot looked, Younger emphasizes how each shot sounds, which is the saving grace of the entire production.
Bleed For This ultimately proves to be neither outstanding nor completely horrible. You certainly don’t have to be a fan of boxing movies to enjoy it, although if you are you might find yourself slightly disappointed.
2/4 Shells
