Deprecated: mb_convert_encoding(): Handling HTML entities via mbstring is deprecated; use htmlspecialchars, htmlentities, or mb_encode_numericentity/mb_decode_numericentity instead in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/super-cool-ad-inserter/inc/scaip-shortcode-inserter.php on line 37
Inspired by real events, Rod Lurie’s film tells the story of an eager young sports reporter (Josh Hartnett) who discovers that a homeless man (Samuel L. Jackson) is a former boxing champ. It’s a dream story … at least, until it turns into an editorial nightmare. The middle of the film — when things go awry — is best, and Lurie (The Contender) poses questions about ethics vis-à-vis entertainment (be it boxing or media) and ambition. Hartnett remains lightweight, but Jackson turns in a restrained performance on what could have been a scenery-chewing role. (Peter Coyote steals the film in a tiny role as an old-school boxing fixture.) But too much of the film is larded up with the reporter’s family troubles — as if reporters delivering sloppy or juiced up stories for personal gain isn’t enough of a drama. We don’t need a precocious 6-year-old kid on board to be our moral center. And certainly not when the intriguing world of mid-century unsanctioned boxing is left barely explored. Starts Fri., Aug. 24. 
This article appears in Aug 23-29, 2007.
