It was the next day that Southpaw impressed me; at the time it was too unpleasant generally, even though Forrest Whitaker provided a ton of heart. Jake Gyllenhaal gives an outstanding performance of a boxer who, sadly, lacks character, and as the center of the movie, Billy Hope needs more pathos than grit. Toughness he has; a relationship with the audience he needs. We love Jake Gyllenhaal, not Billy Hope - that's the film's major failing. Nonetheless, the next day my wife and I discussed the film and there were many scenes and moments that lingered well. Initially the rating was a 3, but it is improved to 7 - the film's value is greater than the sum of its parts. Take out the violence and the terribly offensive language, and you have a modern family morality tale.
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