Salvable

Salvable offers striking visuals and well-choreographed boxing scenes - gritty, kinetic, and grounded - but the storytelling never quite packs a punch. The film centers on Sal, a washed-up boxer battling regret, family estrangement, and the lure of a dangerous comeback. While cinematography beautifully captures the blue-collar grit of Wales and the ring sequences feel authentic, the screenplay remains surface level. His relationships with his daughter and ex-wife feel underdeveloped, pacing suffers in the middle, and the emotional stakes don't fully land. Shia LaBeouf brings some energy as Vince, but mostly just steers Sal toward a predictable end. Salvable looks tough, but it never truly hits below the surface.

In moody blue-collar Brit drama "Salvable" Toby Kebbell (terrific under-rated actor) struggles in his small depressed town to balance his care assistant job, fading nonentitive boxing career (under coach James Cosmo), and relationship with ex-wife Elaine Cassidy & their teen Kíla Lord Cassidy (Elaine's actual daughter)... then old small-time crim pal Shia LaBeouf (with weird accent & goons inc Michael Socha) offers an alternative path. For their debut, co-directors Bjorn Franklin (with his debut screenplay) & Johnny Marchetta forgo 'feel-good' for authentic gloom, but too much so. For similar themes with superior balance opt instead for "Calm With Horses".

Greetings again from the darkness. After reading the synopsis, I was tempted to pass on this one and move on to the next film on the list. What could possibly be appealing about another fading boxer whose life is in shambles? Co-directors Bjorn Franklin (also the screenwriter) and Johnny Marchetta are frequent collaborators on music videos, and this, their first feature film, is a solid action-melodrama with some moving parts that all (OK, mostly) come together. It also has a surprisingly effective lead performance.

Living in Wales, Sal (Toby Kebbell, "Servant") is a past-his-prime boxer taking falls in the ring at night, while showing touching care in his day job at the local Nursing Home. Sal is getting by, but it's clear he needs no sunglasses for his future. His teenage daughter, Molly (Kila Lord Cassidy) is holding on to anger towards him, while his ex-wife (Elaine Cassidy) mostly wishes he would just leave them alone. Matching the mostly joyless life Sal leads is the lighting and atmosphere created by the filmmakers ... hometown looks like a place where smiles are rare.

Just as we are adjusting to Sal's bleak existence and his misguided attempts to improve his lot through his job and slowly improving relationship with Molly, a bad influence pops up in the form of Vince (Shia LaBeouf). Sal and Vince were friends and boxing buddies in their younger days, and now, just out of prison, Vince wants to get the band back together for nefarious activities that can bring them some cash. And just like that, the melodrama of Sal's struggling becomes a bit of a crime drama, where Vince infuses chaos and Sal makes more poor decisions.

Sal's long-time trainer and mentor, old-timer Welly (James Cosmo) tries desperately to keep Sal on track and even scores him a real opportunity for redemption. Of course, we have come to know Sal as a man with the best intentions, but an inability to overcome the constant hurdles life puts in his way. Toby Kebbell delivers a truly touching performance as Sal, and his personal struggles are certainly the best part of the film. Shia LaBeouf adds heft as a guy we may initially misjudge, yet in this world happy endings are tougher to come by than victories in the ring.

Now available OnDemand and on Digital platforms.

Salvable knocks you out like a good boxer would. Obviously, this isn't a movie about boxing. Our main character does fight people in the ring, but more than that, he fights life and his circumstances. This film powerfully conveys a mood-one of sadness, of tough odds, of hopelessness. And you'll feel all of that: through the music, the gritty, rundown locations, the grimy, raw coastal weather-and most of all through the characters, especially in a layered lead performance by Toby Kebbell.

Sal is the underdog in the story-and this movie, too, started out as an underdog, but turned into a great watch.

Classic story about people with no money, broken homes, broken families, broken psyche, low morality, low intelligence, crime etc.

There is the boxing element to it, but this isn't a boxing movie, it's a drama.

It's well acted, Shia Lebouf is a minor character nice to see him taking some interesting roles, hope he gets back to the mainstream soon.

The acting and cinematography and everything makes this very realistic feeling. Like it's a true story.

Life sometimes breaks a man, and his best just isn't good enough, and there are few helping hands. Is it possible to break away from the grips of fate?