the audience applauded

Sorry, this movie sucks

Better Late Then Never

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

This film tells the star-crossed story of Tommy Riley and Marty Goldberg. Tommy is a failed Olympic-hopeful boxer. Marty Goldberg is a fifty-something ex-marine school-teacher who gave up HIS boxing aspirations due to some incident in his past. Together they are more than that.J.P Davis both wrote and starred in this hearty mulligan stew of a movie that's one part Rocky, one part "On the Waterfront" , one part "Gods & Monsters" and one part "Cock & Bull Story." As with any good stew there are also other flavors that we almost recognize but enjoy all the more for their ambiguity.It's unclear by the end of the movie who loves whom more, but it is clear to see that straight Tommy Riley has a special place in his heart for the closeted homosexual that's taught him about boxing and about life.This is an easy film to be critical of. It seems to draw from many great films and yet is not entirely comfortable in it's own skin. Yet I think it's a success as a movie. It has a clear story line, characters that we care about and the young boxer is very easy on the eye. Some will criticize the decisions that the characters make but they pretty much left me wanting to know more. Who was Marty's earlier protégé and exactly why did THEY part company? What was it that Tommy's step-father did that REALLY caused him to lose that earlier fight? Overall It's worth the time we invest in watching and pondering this film.

To be honest, I came in at the middle of this film. but the part I didn't come into was pretty good.I really have to see the entire film to really give an honest opinion.There are so many different reviews on this site - it's just crazy.Tommy seemed to me to be jealous of the old man working with other boxers, so I don't know.I really need to see the beginning of this film to truly understand the core of their relationship.I did, however, feel that Tommy did love this man who was his trainer, but in today's world - of course - this type of love is taboo, which is really stupid.

No joke, one of the single worst movies I've ever seen. I came on here after I finished watching this rubbish fully expecting to see horrible reviews but somehow people liked this. This movie is unquestionably atrocious, it uses boxing as a front for a 65 year old man (who has a serious problem with sleeping pills and donuts) who has a thing for his prized boxing student Tommy.On a side note, why do all white boxers have to be Irish? Just overly trite and clichéd.We found ourselves praying the whole manlove thing wouldn't happen, but obviously it did. There is a grand total of about 1 minute of in-ring boxing action; I'm not sure if there is a single redeeming quality of this movie. Even if they had flashed the token hot chick girlfriend's boob I wouldn't feel like I wasted the whole hour and a half. I feel like a broken man after this film, I need to go take a shot.Even in attempting to make a commentary about social issues it was a failure. I'm shocked that people enjoy this film, it belongs in the garbage. I hope everyone associated with this "film" comes down with a serious case of bubonic plague.

Just saw this on DVD, still buzzing, forgive me if I gush a bit... AMAZING film, imo. Great fan of boxing flix, which is why I picked this up. But this is really not about boxing at all; the boxing part is just a great and compelling metaphor for the get-back-up-and-keep-on-keeping-on thing, could have been anything that justified getting these characters together in such an intense way, so it worked fine, but it's just the setting; the story is the relationship, the histories, the gifts, the consequences, the layers... totally smokes Million$Baby, I think, in so many ways. Great performances, fascinating cinematography/art-direction, like great book illustration, often, esp. in the beginning, gut-wrenchingly moving... See it!