Against the Ropes B-
Reviewer: Ed Howell
I found this movie about a woman fighting her way into the boxing business and succeeding to be entertaining and interesting. It was based on a true story and not another one of those cop T.V. scripts juiced up to be a star vehicle that come and go and are never spoken of again. If I never see Sandra Bullock, Al Pacino, Ashley Judd, Robert DeNiro, or Angelina Jolie, to name just a few, in another luke warm police procedural again it will be too soon. Omar Epps is very good as the young fighter Miss Ryan manages and Tony Shalhoub is good as the tough promoter she must come to terms with in order to win respect and be accepted in the business. This movie doesn't examine any deep cultural, social or philosophical issues as it could have if the script was better. It is about one woman's struggle against the odds to be a successful fight manager. Meg Ryan seems to be fighting the George Reeves curse. She was tremendously successful as an actress in romantic comedies. Now she is taking more diverse roles to breakout of that niche. I thought she was good in Proof of Life, In The Cut had a powerful impact as a book but the movie was so raw that it was unnerving even thought the ending was softened. Meg Ryan's performance was good but her character was treated so harshly sexually and as a human being that it made the movie unappealing. It was like seeing your sister raped. Against the Ropes is a much lighter and entertaining picture. Charles Dutton appears as the trainer and is also the director and the fight scenes are good. Most fight pictures are about a tough kid from the streets that struggles to reach the top. This is about a smart, self-confident woman guiding that tough kid and hersel to success. It is worth seeing.
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