HANDS OF STONE – Review

As the Summer starts to fade, the multiplex looks again to sports films, those (like the “sport” of movie viewing) which are set indoors, away from the harsh cold winds. We’re not talking hockey or basketball, but rather the “mano y mano” battle that seems almost tailor-made for movies, boxing. Of course, there are many times when the boxing flick has been mixed with other genres. Just last year we had a boxing/ family tear-jerker with SOUTHPAW and a boxing/ fantasy/ franchise-reboot CREED (it squeezed a few tears from audiences, too). This time out (perhaps to be an early Oscar contender), we’re seeing a pugilistic biography, a mix that goes back to the dawn of cinema. The 1940’s had GENTLEMAN JIM, and the 50’s had Paul Newman as Rocky Graziano in SOMEBODY UP THERE LIKES ME. The greatest true-life boxing biopic may be 1980’s RAGING BULL with an Oscar-winning turn by Robert DeNiro. The last big hit of this genre mix might be 2001’s ALI with Will Smith as the much missed “greatest”. Now, comes the story of a still living legend of the ring, not a USA home-grown hero, but an icon from “south of the border”, Roberto Duran, a fighter perhaps best known for his HANDS OF STONE.

Speaking of that “raging bull”, this flick begins as celebrated boxing trainer Ray Arcel (Robert De Niro) watches young Roberto Duran (Edgar Ramirez) in a match at NYC’s Madison Square Garden in the early 1970’s. After the bout, Ray is introduced to Roberto by the fighter’s “money man”/ manager Carlos Eleta (Ruben Blades). Ray offers his services at no fee, but the hot-headed Duran will have nothing to do with this “Yankee”. A flashback to him as an eight-year-old in 1960’s Panama explains his attitude. American troops respond with force to protesters outside the Panama Canal as young Roberto barely escapes. He grabs some fruit from a fenced-in tree and rushes back to the squalid home he shares with his siblings and single mother (his father, one of those US soldiers, left long ago). As Roberto gets older, he decides that the best way to put food on the table for his poor family is to become a professional boxer. The owner of the local gym will not train the cocky lil’ guy, but after seeing Roberto pummel another lad in a “back alley” bare-knuckle brawl, the gym owner arranges other illegal underground bouts. As Roberto enters his teen years, he attracts the attention of Eleta who helps turn him into a true “contender”. Around this time, the young fighter begins a romance with his future wife, timid schoolgirl Felicidad (Ana de Armas). After many more title fights, we return to that fateful New York night. Eventually Roberto is convinced that the only way to win the world championship is with Arcel in his corner. The victories pile up, as Roberto goes from lightweight to welterweight (and becomes a father several times over). The only man standing between him and the “big belt” is current champ “Sugar” Ray Leonard (Usher Raymond). This begins one of boxing’s greatest rivalries as their two bouts turn the scrappy street “rat” into an international sports icon.

Ramirez exudes strength and charisma as the celebrated fighter, a real study in machismo. Ultimately, the disjointed script and confusing editing choices take him “down for the count”. He’s full of fierce confidence in and out of the ring, but the reasons for his later self-destructive choices are murky. Plus, he’s not too convincing as the teenage Duran (he always looks about 35), making his unrelenting pursuit of Felicidad, decked out in a plaid schoolgirl skirt (you wonder if his unmarked van is just around the corner). De Niro turns in a subtle, underplayed performance as the veteran trainer. We can see the frustration mounting in Arcel as he deals with the stubborn Duran, but we also witness his fatherly affection toward him. Ms. de Armas, who we saw this last week in WAR DOGS, sparkles as the hero’s love interest. letting us see her transformation from a meek, golden-haired lamb to a strong-willed partner and inspiring, steady family “rock”. Soul singer Raymond has little to do as Leonard, aside from sporting some kitschy hairstyles, but his spirited boxing moves, bouncing and weaving about the befuddled Duran, enliven the big bouts. Two other acting vets show up for extended cameos and do very well with their limited screen time. John Turturro is calm, cool, dead-eyed menace as the mob messenger/liaison to Arcel, while Ellen Barkin is Arcel’s level-headed, no-nonsense wife Stephanie.

Making his English language debut (though at least a quarter of the film is in subtitled Spanish), director/screenwriter Jonathan Jakubowicz brings a great deal of energy and passion to the tale. Unfortunately some creative choices never let the story really soar. At times the film is almost split down the middle between Duran and Arcel (we’re in Panama, then NYC, then the ring, etc.). Some subplots (the introduction of Arcel’s estranged daughter, for example) derail the film’s momentum and don’t really pay off dramatically. Plus, the narration by DeNiro sounds as though he’s in the back of an arena (that reverb-heavy audio device went out of style decades ago). The biggest problem for boxing fans will be the boxing scenes themselves. Last year’s CREED truly “upped the game”, with its innovative camerawork, making us feel as though we were right next to the fighters. Here the bouts are full of constant edits, from mid level to harsh close-up, with any sort of flowing action jarringly interrupted by constant cut-aways to the spectators or the corner men. It just feels too much like a standard fight montage. The film’s other stumbling block may be the hard-headed behavior of Duran himself. Forget his opponents, he seems to be his own worst enemy. When he’s not brooding over past slights, or the fight over the canal, he’s partying way too hard on flashy neon disco sets in scenes that feel like they were lifted from SCARFACE or BOOGIE NIGHTS. And just what prompted him to gorge himself with tons of food just hours before a big title match? We’ll never know. HANDS OF STONE is a remarkable story that’s clobbered by misguided, sloppy execution. And here’s how this judge scored…

2 Out of 5