By the last half an hour mark of Hands of Stone, I was thinking about my grocery list. By the last ten minutes, I was checking my watch to see how much longer it would be until I could use the restroom. As I watched this movie, I was sure of what the film was going for. It was trying to be a typical inspirational sports movie about the little guy who starts out with a big ego and nothing but the clothes on his back who becomes somebody that the kiddies can look up to. What I was unsure of was how the film chose to get there. This is the cinematic equivalent of a Pinball game. Story starts here, goes over there for a few seconds, shoots to the top for a second, falls down to the bottom in a flash, while there is little aim or consistency in the game-play.
The film starts as famous boxer trainer, Ray Arcel (Robert De Niro), walks into the sepia-lit boxing ring of Madison Square Garden. He is there to observe Panamanian competitor Roberto Duran (Edgar Ramirez) at the request of his manager. Arcel is there to make Roberto a "champion" as Roberto is described as "wild" and in need of direction. He is a highly skilled boxer, but is somehow not champ material for reasons that we ironically do not see until later. Why ironically? Because the whole reason Ray Arcel is supposed to train him is to get Roberto's career on track, yet somehow causes his social-thereby professional-decline as the movie goes on. I have seen plenty of biopics where at some point the lead character falls on hard times and needs reassurance to never give up (half the time, that's why they have a lead love interest). But I have never seen a biopic where the character falls into that state because of the very reason that is supposed to make him better and inspirational to the audience. From my point of view, that makes Hands of Stone fairly pointless. Maybe even more like the plot to an episode of South Park than to a Hollywood sports movie.
But back to the game of Pinball. Let me preface this little analysis by acknowledging that the screenwriter/director Jonathan Jakubowicz evidently knew a great deal about the lives of these characters out of passion for their stories. The problem was either he was attempting to put focus on too many little aspects that he in the long run he should have cut or he started with a longer, more flowing narrative and cut too much of what he should have kept in order to shorten the running time. Instead of a story propelled by the relationship of Duran and Arcel, we got maybe five scenes of the two of them during Duran's training and a hundred other scenes that did not add up to anything.
Case in point, in the beginning of Duran's training with Arcel, Arcel takes the time to explain the difference between technique and strategy. As Arcel describes it, technique is the name for how you implement strategy and strategy is the overall battle plan for the fight. In a later scene, we see a little bit of what Arcel is talking about. During their first fight as a team, Duran goes to the corner of the ring to take a break and get coached like any other boxer. But right before he continues the fight, Arcel always combs back Duran's hair. Why is this? We find out later that it's to make Duran look like he "just got out of the shower"; if he looks "fresh" during a fight, it will drive the other fighter crazy every time. "Ahh strategy" Duran replies impressed.
These are the kinds of scenes and moments that the film should have spent more time with. Instead, we got the obligatory love interest, an out-of-nowhere hospital scene, an unnecessary death scene, a sub-conflict with the mafia, a meeting of the long-lost father scene, and hundreds of other moments that added up to nothing substantial leaving for a confused and boring product.
If I were to watch this movie again, it would be for one reason; the boxing scenes. Here is where the direction and cinematography truly shine. The pacing, the editing, and the acting are all exactly appropriate to reflect Duran's frame of mind during each individual fight. In the beginning when he is confident (bordering on conceited) of his ability, the pacing is quick yet the shots are observant. And when Duran hits his lowest professional point, the shots are longer, slower, but still carrying the same level of intensity. I would love to put this movie on again for those scenes alone, I would just keep the fast forward button nearby.
For more movie reviews, check out my blog, Art Scene State at the following link http://cinemasmarts.blogspot.com/
The film starts as famous boxer trainer, Ray Arcel (Robert De Niro), walks into the sepia-lit boxing ring of Madison Square Garden. He is there to observe Panamanian competitor Roberto Duran (Edgar Ramirez) at the request of his manager. Arcel is there to make Roberto a "champion" as Roberto is described as "wild" and in need of direction. He is a highly skilled boxer, but is somehow not champ material for reasons that we ironically do not see until later. Why ironically? Because the whole reason Ray Arcel is supposed to train him is to get Roberto's career on track, yet somehow causes his social-thereby professional-decline as the movie goes on. I have seen plenty of biopics where at some point the lead character falls on hard times and needs reassurance to never give up (half the time, that's why they have a lead love interest). But I have never seen a biopic where the character falls into that state because of the very reason that is supposed to make him better and inspirational to the audience. From my point of view, that makes Hands of Stone fairly pointless. Maybe even more like the plot to an episode of South Park than to a Hollywood sports movie.
But back to the game of Pinball. Let me preface this little analysis by acknowledging that the screenwriter/director Jonathan Jakubowicz evidently knew a great deal about the lives of these characters out of passion for their stories. The problem was either he was attempting to put focus on too many little aspects that he in the long run he should have cut or he started with a longer, more flowing narrative and cut too much of what he should have kept in order to shorten the running time. Instead of a story propelled by the relationship of Duran and Arcel, we got maybe five scenes of the two of them during Duran's training and a hundred other scenes that did not add up to anything.
Case in point, in the beginning of Duran's training with Arcel, Arcel takes the time to explain the difference between technique and strategy. As Arcel describes it, technique is the name for how you implement strategy and strategy is the overall battle plan for the fight. In a later scene, we see a little bit of what Arcel is talking about. During their first fight as a team, Duran goes to the corner of the ring to take a break and get coached like any other boxer. But right before he continues the fight, Arcel always combs back Duran's hair. Why is this? We find out later that it's to make Duran look like he "just got out of the shower"; if he looks "fresh" during a fight, it will drive the other fighter crazy every time. "Ahh strategy" Duran replies impressed.
These are the kinds of scenes and moments that the film should have spent more time with. Instead, we got the obligatory love interest, an out-of-nowhere hospital scene, an unnecessary death scene, a sub-conflict with the mafia, a meeting of the long-lost father scene, and hundreds of other moments that added up to nothing substantial leaving for a confused and boring product.
If I were to watch this movie again, it would be for one reason; the boxing scenes. Here is where the direction and cinematography truly shine. The pacing, the editing, and the acting are all exactly appropriate to reflect Duran's frame of mind during each individual fight. In the beginning when he is confident (bordering on conceited) of his ability, the pacing is quick yet the shots are observant. And when Duran hits his lowest professional point, the shots are longer, slower, but still carrying the same level of intensity. I would love to put this movie on again for those scenes alone, I would just keep the fast forward button nearby.
For more movie reviews, check out my blog, Art Scene State at the following link http://cinemasmarts.blogspot.com/