Em Busca da Vitória

I generally like foreign movies as long as there are English subtitles with it. For the most part, I find the acting and atmosphere refreshing, especially considering how much of what Hollywood produces these days is straight up garbage. This movie while having potential, is really hampered by no English subtitles to be found anywhere. Movie must not be very well known at all cause no one has bothered to make ANY subtitles available at all. Probably viewing this if you can speak Japanese would be more understandable than if you just spoke English and trying to figure out the Japanese parts. I have this movie on hold just in case someone does make some English subtitles for it. Otherwise I'm not going to try to view it again.

I was a bit worried about watching this movie when I saw it was in Japanese/English, and I was right about that. Its about 50/50 Japanese/English. After searching and not finding any subs, I decided to give it a go anyhow. The movie is well made, with lots of images from Japanese nature. The acting looks good too, at least not too weird. The japanese dialogue is really hard to understand without subs but thats expected I guess. The movie gave me "flashbacks" to Bruce Lee and Rocky movies, I would not be surprised if the writers have watched all of those films. Tyler Wood and Yusuke Ogasawara are doing a nice job as the main caracters in the movie, and its their first movie for both of them. I would guess not their last :) The directors, Reza Ghassemi and Adam VillaSenor (they are also the writers) are doing a nice job putting the movie together. Part of the movie are in black/white, but it fits the movie good and helps make the "mafia" effect stronger.

I believe this movie could been a strong 8 or maybe even a 9 in my rating, but because its impossible to understand everything without subs, I have to set it as low as 7.

There is beauty in this film that you will rarely find in cinema nowadays. Every single shot has been so painstakingly crafted, colors exuberantly vibrant, with the scenery carefully chosen for each location so uniquely palpable it's breathtaking at even the most simple of moments.

The story is about a boxing match, but if you think that's the core of its purpose, you are inherently mistaken. This is about a fight yes, but a fight within ourselves is harder to overcome than merely hand to hand combat. The score is absolutely incredible, transcending you with each scene as it lays perfectly balanced with you emotionally.

'I suppose everyone is lost in their own wilderness.' To quote Masahiro, you will definitely find yourself in the wilderness of our characters, as there is everything you'd want in this story, with challenges and relationships built that you will carry with you long after this is over. You will laugh at loud at some moments, breaking you from the weight this fight has over beloved main characters. It does more than entertain, its invokes FEELING.

The battle between these two warriors and within themselves is elegantly fought, purposely displayed for our minds to wander into our own battles. It's passionate. It's rage. It's palpable emotionally. Its cuts deep into the true unwavering reminder of our own mortality. 'Life is so tragically short, but beautiful.'

It's everything I want in a story, and it's everything YOU should want. Well done team, well done.

Is this a perfect movie? No. Really really no. HOWEVER, it is one of the most original and unique films I've seen in years. There are certain aspects that just do not work. Some of the scenes with the American Boxer can feel repetitive. But other than that, this is a beautiful film, from two first time directors. And most the of the cast are first timers. It's really amazing. The cinematography really blew me away. I can watch the last 30 mins of the film on repeat. I'm really curious what this team makes next. Also the Japan Boxer is a BEAST!

It is not for everybody, if you are expecting a movie like Rocky or those blockbusters, this is not like that. It shows both fighter perspectives and why are they are fighting, it might be really, but really slow but when you see the box scene, it is totally worth it, I think that scene is the main movie