The life of boxing legend, George Foreman, is dramatized in an inspiring tale of overcoming hopeless beginnings and adversity to becoming one of the greatest heavyweight champions of all time.
Deep South in 1960, young George Foreman (Khris Davis is quite convincing) grows up as an angry boy with his loving, religious mom and siblings in poor circumstances. As a young man, desperate for money, he signs with the Job Corps in hopes of better opportunities. There he meets Doc Broadus (Forest Whitaker giving strong support) who channels Foreman’s rage into boxing where he learns the skills to become competitive and eventually compete as a 19 year old in the Olympics and subsequently to greater glory professionally. When he suffers major setbacks in boxing and his personal life, he is compelled to look to his faith and preach to the masses. After enormous, financial misfortune, he is forced to attempt a boxing comeback at age 45, and an improbable story has an astonishing ending.
Foreman’s life deserved a film treatment, and key events are on display here including famous bouts with Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali which are well staged, and other famous moments are recreated with authenticity. While the film never leans too much into religious perspectives, its even-handed approach works well by showing different sides to Foreman including his flaws and how he handled success and failure including a nearly fatal, life changing experience. It also focuses on his love for and sometimes, misguided trust of other people.
The
film doesn’t disappoint, and while it avoids exploring the many aspects of his
life too deeply, consider this a well-paced sketch of a remarkable man whose deep faith and commitment accomplished so much
despite overwhelming odds.
***
of **** stars (add ½* for Foreman fans)
No comments:
Post a Comment