La rivincita del campione

Currently, "Resurrecting the Champ" has a relatively low score of 6.7 on IMDB. I say low because, oddly, 6.7 is about average and the film is far better than an average movie. It's just too good for such a paltry score.

The movie is a dramatizing of real events. Not surprisingly, Hollywood made a few changes to 'improve' the story....in other words, to make it more cinematic. Fortunately, these changes are minor.

A writer (Josh Hartnett) meets a homeless guy (Samuel L. Jackson) who apparently is the ex-boxing great, Bob Satterfield. The writer's career is struggling and he wants to make a splash...and he eventually comes up with the idea of doing a 'where are they now' feature on the guy. The article turns out to be a sensation and the LA Times is thrilled. But, being a movie, there of course is MUCH more to the story and I don't want to say more, as it would ruin the suspense.

The acting is quite nice here but the best thing about the film is the writing. The story is very interesting and engaging....and well worth your time even if you are NOT a boxing fan...which, I am not.

Okay, the film is actually pretty good and a far cry from what I expected, though nowhere near as good as a 10 Star film that I've seen listed on many of these comments. The film is passable, and even enjoyable at times, with a good message and a meaningful story about fathers and sons at its core.

Hartnett, like the rest of the cast, do a serviceable job and the acting is pretty good throughout the film, though people thinking Jackson will win or even be nominated for a flick like this need to put down the Kool Aid. It's a nice little film, a modest surprise even, but hardly anything award worthy.

You can read my full review online at RazorFine Review.

Hi, today I was reading the Los Angeles Times magazine and saw a full page ad on the movie. I said to myself, "that looks like the Champ, I knew". I looked at the website for the movie and found that it in fact was about "Bobby Satterfield" the Champ I knew. A little about myself that will tell you that the story is true. I was a Police Officer in Santa Ana, CA for 25 yrs and worked the area that the Champ lived in. I have not seen the movie in that it is due out on Friday, but have read the article and still have a copy of it, that was in the L.A. Times. All of us cops knew the Champ as Bobby Satterfield and knew no different until the article about him came out in the paper. The Champ was truly a homeless person even though he had an ex-wife that lived on Polplar St in Santa Ana. The Champ was a kind person who had a shopping cart(a Santa Ana Winnebago) that he kept all sorts of junk in. He was no harm unless he was drunk and then could become very aggressive. He would go to liquor stores with a little broom and sweep up and pick up around the store, and probably get a beer for it. I always got along well with the Champ and always said Hi to him and sometimes even gave him a few bucks(he never panhandled me or asked). I do know that he had some pretty good fights with some of my cohorts when he was drunk however. I hope that he got a few bucks out of this film(I don't even know if he is still alive, I retired 6 yrs ago and he was looking aged then). I can not wait to see the movie. I am not sure how or what they portray him as, but the basic facts are true. I can always be contacted if you desire. Enjoy

I had the privilege of seeing an advance screening of "Resurrecting the Champ" earlier tonight, followed by a Q & A with director Rod Lurie and screenwriter Michael Bortman. This is an extraordinary motion pictures. In my opinion, this film has the best writing, characterization and dramatic construction of any film released so far this year. The performances are stellar across the board, with a special mention to the film's leads, Josh Hartnett and Sam Jackson. Hartnett's character is torn between his ambition as an up and coming investigative journalist and his integrity as a man, a husband, a father and a son. Jackson plays "Champ", a one-time up and coming boxer who climbs the ranks to #3 in the world, to eventually be reduced to a homeless man scaling the trash cans of Denver.

Hartnett and Jackson create an unexpected friendship in his quest to write a magazine article about the journey of this man's forgotten life. Along the way, the film explores the themes of integrity, honesty, vulnerability, authenticity, truth, consequence, and family is an entertaining, emotional and significant fashion. The entire film breathes energy into the value and importance of responsibility and trust, and how abusing them can lead to consequences that can only be cured by forgiveness and a re-commitment to being true to one's character. The way that Hartnett's characters comes to understand the damages he could do to his relationship with his son, by living through it with champ is powerful and a important lesson for all parents.

I truly hope this film gets the respect and attention it deserves from critics and audiences alike. Comes Oscar time, I would come to expect "Resurrecting the Champ" to be on the minds of many. When it comes to films that you can sense the passion and heart of the storytelling being present in every frame, this one is near the top of that list. 10/10!

Jackson stands out in this heartfelt movie about a sports writer (played by Josh Hartnett), estranged from his wife (Cold Case's Kathryn Morris), who works to shine the limelight once more on a former boxer (Jackson) who has become homeless. In addition to Jackson, there's great work from young Dakota Goyo as Hartnett's son, and Rachel Nichols as the co-worker who assists in the writer's research. This is director Rod Lurie's most personal film to date, and it gives you some serious issues to think about, very rare in this threequel-laden summer. There's also a surprise appearance from one of our best character actors, and Alan Alda does a fine turn as Hartnett's boss.