2008 Woodie Awards
Review: Against the Ropes
Melinda Arnett
Issue date: 3/3/04 Section: Scene
- Page 1 of 1
While not quite in the same league as boxing movie royalty such as Rocky or as motivational as Girlfight, Against the Ropes, starring Meg Ryan, isnt half bad.
The movie is based on the real-life story of Jackie Kallen, one of the most influential and successful women in the male-dominated sport of professional boxing. The movie begins with Kallen working as the coffee-fetching grunt for Irving Abel, the sexist manager of the Cleveland Coliseum (yes as in Cleveland, Ohio). Sexist is the optimal word to describe the world of boxing, and Kallen decides to take charge of her life and become a boxing manager.
She finds Luther Shaw (played by Omar Epps), a raw boxer with more street credit than anything else. In the classic boxing movie tradition, they rise to the top with a few ego-centric moments along the way.
Against the Ropes is a little slow at times and lacks the drama and excitement of other boxing movies, but its worth a watch. Just keep in mind tha its based on a true story, and more often than not, real life lacks the drama that makes great movies. What makes this movie worth watching is the fact that a beautiful and intelligent women breaks through the concrete walls of boxing and finds success. Also, there are a multitude of great one-liners and witty dialogue thats worth a good laugh or two.
The Team
The heavy-hitter in this movie is of course Meg Ryanb who plays the part with typical charming and funny Meg Ryan flair. She struts her stuff in tight-skinned and ostentatious clothes (quite a stretch from her When Harry Met Sally Days). Although her accent sounds more like shes from Minnesota than Detroit (which is where the real Kallen is from), Ryans manner is humorous, not to mention that shes hard-as-nails and gives a wonderful performance, as always.
Omar Epps, who plays the middle-weight boxer that Kallen discovers, is impressive in all the boxing scenes and gives a compelling performance. Epps, whose feature films include Scream 2 and Love and Basketball, has a great physical presence.
Tony Shalhoub, who played an alien in Men in Black 1 and 2, is the bad guy in this movie. He portrays Sam Larocca, a boxing manager who treats his players like they are his property and women as if they never should have left the kitchen.
The Real Kallen
Jackie Kallen still manages boxers and does a great deal of charity work as well as public speaking. Kallen, whos now a grandmother, is almost as attractive as Meg Ryan. Her story is a great one and should be a source of inspiration to women around the world.
The movie is based on the real-life story of Jackie Kallen, one of the most influential and successful women in the male-dominated sport of professional boxing. The movie begins with Kallen working as the coffee-fetching grunt for Irving Abel, the sexist manager of the Cleveland Coliseum (yes as in Cleveland, Ohio). Sexist is the optimal word to describe the world of boxing, and Kallen decides to take charge of her life and become a boxing manager.
She finds Luther Shaw (played by Omar Epps), a raw boxer with more street credit than anything else. In the classic boxing movie tradition, they rise to the top with a few ego-centric moments along the way.
Against the Ropes is a little slow at times and lacks the drama and excitement of other boxing movies, but its worth a watch. Just keep in mind tha its based on a true story, and more often than not, real life lacks the drama that makes great movies. What makes this movie worth watching is the fact that a beautiful and intelligent women breaks through the concrete walls of boxing and finds success. Also, there are a multitude of great one-liners and witty dialogue thats worth a good laugh or two.
The Team
The heavy-hitter in this movie is of course Meg Ryanb who plays the part with typical charming and funny Meg Ryan flair. She struts her stuff in tight-skinned and ostentatious clothes (quite a stretch from her When Harry Met Sally Days). Although her accent sounds more like shes from Minnesota than Detroit (which is where the real Kallen is from), Ryans manner is humorous, not to mention that shes hard-as-nails and gives a wonderful performance, as always.
Omar Epps, who plays the middle-weight boxer that Kallen discovers, is impressive in all the boxing scenes and gives a compelling performance. Epps, whose feature films include Scream 2 and Love and Basketball, has a great physical presence.
Tony Shalhoub, who played an alien in Men in Black 1 and 2, is the bad guy in this movie. He portrays Sam Larocca, a boxing manager who treats his players like they are his property and women as if they never should have left the kitchen.
The Real Kallen
Jackie Kallen still manages boxers and does a great deal of charity work as well as public speaking. Kallen, whos now a grandmother, is almost as attractive as Meg Ryan. Her story is a great one and should be a source of inspiration to women around the world.
