Southpaw (2015) Directed by Antoine Fuqua. Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rachel McAdams, Oona Laurence, Forest Whitaker. IMDB says: “Boxer Billy Hope turns to trainer Tick Willis to help him get his life back on track after losing his wife in a tragic accident and his daughter to child protection services.”

Southpaw is the story of Billy “The Great” Hope. He’s a boxer on top of his game and the undefeated Light Heavyweight Boxing Champion. He’s got it all. A gorgeous wife, big house, adorable kid. What more could he ask for?

One night, after attending a charity event, tragedy strikes. This sends Billy into a frenzy of making bad choices, eventually leaving him with nothing, completely alone, without his wife or daughter. He seeks out the help of a trainer, Tick Willis, in hopes of getting his life back. After fighting in a charity exhibition match, Billy is offered another shot at the title with only six weeks to prepare. With the help of Tick, Billy prepares himself for the fight of his life.

Director Antoine Fuqua delivers a dramatic boxing epic for audiences, something we haven’t seen in quite some time. The last boxing movie even worth a damn was Warrior, and before that, the Rocky series. So having a film like this come out now, before Creed, which hits in November, is something audiences have been waiting for.

Fuqua delivers his own boxing melodrama that hits all the basic elements we find in most boxing movies, but still stands out and differentiates itself from films like Rocky. Southpaw is gritty and raw and shot in ways I’ve not seen in a boxing film. Fuqua shot moments during the fight in first person, which really added a unique perspective for a boxing film. It creates an experience for the audience, like they’re part of the fight and not just a spectator.

As for Jake Gyllenhaal, he’s the real star of the show. Once again, as we’ve seen over the past few years, he delivers an amazing performance that really captivates us. This film had to be written with Gyllenhaal in mind because I couldn’t really see anyone else delivering the emotion that he gives in his performance. With his recent string of films, like last years Nightcrawler and 2013’s Prisoners, he is quickly becoming one of the top actors out there, constantly delivering a solid performance that can move the audience time and again. From the creepy to the bad-ass, Gyllenhaal has got you covered.

Aside from Gyllenhaal, we also have amazing performances from all the supporting cast. Rachel McAdams is perfect as the decision-making wife of Billy. She can be tough and firm when it comes to business, but her chemistry on-screen with Gyllenhaal as his loving wife is what really impacts the viewer and makes them connect during her last scene in the film. Then we have legend Forest Whitaker, who takes on the mentor role, but delivers it with an additional side of humor and skepticism. And lets not forget my dude Curtis Jackson aka 50 Cent, whose acting skills far outweigh his rapping skills. He continuously surprises me with how decent of an actor he can be.

Wrapping this up. I’ve got two words for you. Oona Laurence. This young actor gave an amazing performance and I hope we get to see more from her in the future. I’m not going to lie, there’s a scene that takes place in the group home she is placed in that actually brought tears to my eyes. She gives such a strong and convincing performance that you can’t help but feel the pain she is going through.

Overall, Southpaw is quite an extraordinary film filled with amazing performances from all parties involved. The beginning two-thirds of the film are what stand out to me as being different from your typical boxing film. The last portion sort of falls into your typical training-to-fight montage, accompanied by an Eminem track, followed very quickly by the epic climactic fight. This is the film to see this weekend and I truly enjoyed it from start to finish.

OVERALL SCORE: 90%