Harder They Fall

I think the previously written review, that gave it 10 stars, was written by someone involved with this movie's creation. This movie should not be sold or rented. I watched it via Netflix and it is by far the worst movie I've ever seen. Save yourself the time and grab a camera and a few friends. Take those friends and create some fake fight scenes, add some wretched sound and amateur acting and you'll have Harder They Fall. It may confuse you at first... You may wonder when the real movie will start... But it's pure crap all the way through. You will live a fuller, richer life if you don't see this movie. How this movie made it mainstream is completely beyond me. Maybe I could publish my home videos too.

"Harder They Fall" directed by Lee Cipolla, was not just great for being an independent flick, it was just overall a good movie. I was skeptical about going to see it at first, because I heard it was a feature-with a low budget- and I thought I would be bored stiff. But from the opening minute to the final credits, I was hooked in and never let go. I went to see it with my little brother , who really only likes big action blockbusters and my mother, who does mot speak English- and hates American movies. When we walked out of the screening- all three of us talked about how much we liked it.. My brother not only liked it, but he claimed to like it better than any of the movies that he's seen recently. I sensed that he was so drawn in by the characters (mainly Jesus) and story that the low budgeted- effects didn't even occur to him. I heard my mother laughing out loud through most of the scenes with Jesus and his grandmother- and she admitted later to have teared up and felt goosebumps during some of the scenes within the rich white fighters home. I think it's a fine accomplishment to make a movie that can relate to all of those age groups and cultures. I've lived in Miami my whole life and I have never seen a movie depict it so well. In that I mean the people and the way they act, the places and feeling of the environment. It was very colorful. But the people in it- Jesus's character was recognizable and the scenes is his house were soooo realistic. I didn't relate to the white fighter as much- but I still was moved by the way he was able to overcome his insecurities and stand up for himself- which is something we all can relate to. I like how it incorporated the fighting to keep it moving- but didn't use it as a crutch. And for what it was- I though the fights scenes were actually really cool. I liked everything about the movie- the story, the style and characters-everything. I applaud Lee Cipolla for his work. Its definitely a movie that my family and I would watch again. Go Jesus!!!!!!

i saw this at a private screening in Miami and was surprised to see it on IMDb so quickly. The film is set around two young fighters who are forced to battle it out in their home lives and in the ring. the story and acting were great-especially the role of the grandmother she was utterly realistic. I found myself laughing out loud at different parts, but also there were touching moments to speak of in the life of the latino boxer. i was entertained for the full hour and a half and was not disappointed at the end, usually fight movies involve no moral- but this one did. even the quote on quote 'bad guy' was likable and three dimensional. I gave this a perfect rating based on the budget and all the other obstacles that the filmmakers had to face. well done...

I normally don't comment on these things but like the user doubleodak, I see these people giving it 10 stars and I am also just compelled to comment. As a matter of fact, I registered an account on IMDb just so I could comment on this. If I can save just one person from suffering through this movie then it would have been worth it. There is no way this movie is 10 stars. I don't think it's even 1 star but I didn't have the option to pick 0. This is the worst movie I've seen in a while if not ever. I could barely sit through it. The only reason I did is because it was 3 in the morning and I was trying to soothe my 2 month old son and there was nothing on TV except infomercials. The reason I had it in the first place is because Blockbuster mentioned it in an email and I was looking for some movies to add to my queue. The description sounded like it would have been right up my alley so I added it.

I'll admit that part of my problem is that I didn't know it was going to be a low budget film when I started to watch but I'll give any movie a chance so I watched, waiting for something good to happen, but alas....nothing. In hindsight, even if I was expecting a low budget film I probably would still be giving this same review. The fight scenes are garbage, there is just a lot of camera moving around to make it look more action packed but I would imagine that most people could see through that and the dialog (what there was of it) was some of the most ridiculous crap I've heard. There was a moment when the mom and the rich fighter were having dinner and the mom said something like "I notice you come home later when you hang with Jenny" and the fighter was like "so" and the mom said something like "watch your testosterone" and the fighter said "moooommmm" and she said "just be careful, that's all I'm saying".

It was a very awkward moment (and not in that good, funny way you see in the TV show "The Office") that added nothing to the film. Actually, every scene that contained dialog was pretty worthless.

I could go on and on but you get the point. I'm tried to be objective and find some good but there was no good to be found in this situation. Do yourself a favor and don't rent or buy this movie.

Lee Anthony Cipolla shows, once again, that his greatest skill as a filmmaker is in making the best of what is available, as a writer, a director, and an editor. Like a truly great chef, who can cook a gourmet meal even in a poorly stocked kitchen, he sees great potential in the world around him and makes films to draw out that inherent beauty.

A self-proclaimed "guerrilla" filmmaker, the budget for his first short film was around $50, and, as surprising as it may seem, the final budget for "Harder They Fall" barely topped $2000. It is a mark of his particular genius that anyone could turn around and complain that these movies are "overbudgeted" and "flashy."

Although masterfully executed and superbly edited, the action sequences are not what make this film worth seeing. Shot entirely in Miami with a local cast and crew, "Harder They Fall" is a loving testament to the city, a city often under-appreciated by visiting directors. It is a touching and beautiful coming-of-age film, and I urge anyone who is offered a chance to see this film to take it immediately.