Jungleland

Fighting for your life ... almost literally speaking in this case. Two brothers, one goal. And yet their relationship is shaky. Or at least it is vulnerable on many things. Trust, having given up so many things ... expectations ... wanting the best for your brother and so many other things. Add a woman and her own issues to the mix ... and it becomes an almost explosive cocktail of sorts.

The acting is more than decent and the story moves along nicely. I reckon you can guess a few things or most depending on how much you invest in thinking ahead of time. Still this is quite the enjoyable movie, where the fight scenes work as much as the dramatic scenes. There is heightened reality to it to ... and an ending that I reckon is bittersweet at best ... or maybe you feel different about it.

I put off watching this because the plot felt underwhelming but if you're a fan of cinema this film was beautifully shot and directed.

Really great cast and characters as well. Loved the pacing of this film.

Is it worth mentioning that the three lead actors are British? Probably not because most people won't notice, they're pretty good actors. Charlie Hunnam (King Arthur) is older brother Stanley who "looks after" younger brother Jack O'Connell (Unbroken) playing Walter who is a skilled fighter. The phrase "if not for bad luck they'd have no luck at all" applies directly to these guys. Their dire situation expectedly leads to spiraling poorer choices which indebt them to a loan-shark who makes them an offer they can't refuse. Thus begins their road trip to a big fight with a big payday... The catch? They have to take Sky (Jessica Barden of Hanna) along with them. Viewers expecting another Warrior or The fighter will be disappointed... This is more a drama. There is a bit of action thrown in to keep fight fans happy, but the film is about the complexities of family relationships, the struggle to realize one's dreams, the hopelessness of failure and redemption of the spirit. The actors suck you into their world and drag you along the seedy and grimy sidewalks of their life. The camera work is very clean, the scenery spans from gritty to beautiful, and the score is always appropriate, but this is a character driven film, and done well.

Although Max Winkler's directing was decent, his story was slow, depressing, unsatisfying, and basically the story of every person who wasn't raised with a silver spoon. So you'll get nothing out of this except for a reality check on the lemons of life. I just wish the story had more punch than what the fists were giving. There were flaws, plot and technical issues in the screenplay. The 90 min runtime felt almost 3 hours long with the slow pacing. Performances however where outstanding, and the cinematography and score on point. It's a generous 7/10 from me.

I don't usually write reviews but after seeing the criminally underscored rating, I decided to. In short, this film had me drawn in with the talent, hooked with the plot, invested in the characters and satisfied with the ending. A pleasure to see O'Connell, Hunnam and Jessica Barden give stellar performances side by side in beautiful cinematography.