3 min to read
The Fire Inside
Is this true story worth the watch?
The Good: Immediately upon the start of the movie you are greeted by Jason, the coach, and are shown how he is the glue that solidifies the whole movie together. Jason is a person who literally sacrifices everything (time, money, food, and more) just to be able to support and train Claressa, and Brian Tyree Henry plays him perfectly. Not only does he play the supportive coach, he also brings the sass and the vulnerable side to the character that I’m not sure many other people could. There’s no Claressa without Jason (especially due to all the sacrifices he made to get her where she is), and Brian Tyree Henry does an impeccable job showing how Jason not only knows and acknowledges this, but also how it never changed the way he supports her and tries to constantly push her to be better.
What also makes this movie so good is how inspirational it is. Claressa didn’t grow up with much, being very poor and not having a great home life. This movie does such a good job about showing how one can still succeed despite all of the struggles in life. Yes, you may not have much, whether it be wealth, material possession, or support from parents, but if you put in the time and effort you can show the world what makes you great. I love stories like this and I think this movie was very well done.
The Meh: One of my biggest issues with the movie had to do with struggles that Claressa faced while trying to achieve her dreams. Claressa has such natural talent for boxing that she is extremely good in the ring, so good that she never loses. Because of this, it never feels that she ever has a real mountain/obstacle to overcome throughout the course of the movie that is related to boxing specifically. Her real struggle is mental. Her coach not only is trying to train her physically, but he is also trying to train her mentally, stating many times that her mind was what she needed to constantly work on. Claressa has mental roadblocks that she needs to overcome, but as the audience I struggled to know what her roadblocks were, and this is partially due to her being a very closed person. The movie does a great job showing the hardships she has at home and with her relationships, but it struggled with showing her mental struggles in the ring and how she tried to overcome those. Yes, I know personal issues will be part of that struggle, but that is 100% not all of them. I needed more. I think showing her successes could have been elevated even more by also showing how she was able to overcome her greatest weakness(es).
On another note, the boxing in the movie was a bit underwhelming. I really had the hopes that it would get close to Creed or other fighting movies (like Warrior), but I was always underwhelmed by what was shown. I know the reason the boxing isn’t better was because the budget of the movie was $12 million, but I still was wanting more boxing and improved fights.
Overall: This is a wonderful movie about an olympian I had never heard of previously, and Brian Tyree Henry does an incredible job being Claressa’s coach, making every scene with him stand out and be incredibly poignant and memorable. Despite wishing some of the boxing was better and that Claressa’s mental struggles in the ring were addressed more, I think this is a great story about overcoming odds and fighting for greatness.
Rating: 4/5
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