O Round Final

I haven't had much good to say about films shot in Canada recently, but this is the exception. I hope race relations in Nova Scotia aren't this bad, but the film made me believe each of the characters were real. They all had a depth to them, and as others have mentioned, were all acted very well. It's true that some of this territory has been covered before, but I think it's safe to say nobody saw this particular ending coming quite the way it happened. My last comment is about the boxing scene, which I felt was unique in conveying the impacts of some of the blows. Other recent boxing movies have not had the same effect, for me. I look forward to more films of this calibre.

This is the film Clint Eastwood wishes he could have directed. I just saw Poor Boy's Game at MoMa (March 13) and I am appalled that it is not getting a theatrical release in the US, but going straight to DVD. There is a huge market for this film in America. Clement Virgo is a brilliant director. The drama is clever, suspenseful and both Glover and Sutherland are Oscar contenders! The young Ross Sutherland holds his own against the always-amazing Glover, and some of the most epic movie moments of 2007 is when they have their "talk" overlooking the ocean towards the end of the film. The movie has everything (crime, suspense, sex, redemption, class and race conflict, romance, boxing) without becoming predictable and the final 20 minutes are so worth it! Not the mention the music by Byron Wong. Just amazing. LINDA SAETRE

POOR BOY'S GAME is a little film with a big message: hate can only be altered with forgiveness, remorse and redemption. The highly respected Jamaican director Clément Virgo (episodes on 'The Wire', 'The L Word', 'Soul Food', and films 'Love Comes Down', 'Lie With Me', etc) here takes on the tough subject of racism and the accompanying backlash of consequences and with co-writer Chaz Thorne produces a small but pungent film that touches many aspects of the schism between whites and blacks in the seemingly tranquil town of Halifax, Nova Scotia. Isolating the story in such an unlikely place serves to heighten the core problems the film addresses.

Donnie Rose (Rossif Sutherland) is released from prison, having served nine years for the brutal beating of Charles Carvery (K.C. Collins) which left the victim severely brain damaged. Upon release Donnie returns to his old neighborhood to live with his mother and find work as a security guard in a bar. Largely due to the bad influence of Donnie's belligerent and bigoted brother Keith (Greg Bryk), Donnie has to struggle with his family situation, trying to avoid the pain and guilt of his past while coping with his own dark secrets. His victim's father George (Danny Glover) stalks Donnie with the intent of killing him for the damage he has inflicted on both only his son and wife (Tonya Lee Williams), but the racial tension he encounters magnifies the underlying tragedy of the past - a factor both Donnie and George must face. Violence between the blacks and whites erupts and the resolution is to be decided in a boxing match between the superior boxer Ossie Paris (Flex Alexander) and Donnie. After a touching encounter following a tragedy, George and Donnie bond and George trains Donnie for the fight, the first sign of erasing racial tension. How the crucial fight preparations proceed and how the fight results from the resolution of the critical conflict that has eroded the town and these people forms the surprising closure of this story.

The cast is strong with the quiet lead from Danny Glover and the smoldering, conflicted Donnie by Rossif Sutherland, the fine young Canadian actor whose father is Donald Sutherland and whose half brother is Kiefer Sutherland. The film very quietly explores other conflicts, such as Donnie's sexual and emotional life with his black cell mate in prison, adding to the exploration of human behaviors that influence interpersonal schisms and barriers. This may be a low budget movie but it is a solid work well worth viewing. Grady Harp

I was thinking first when i started this movie that it was some crappy low budget flick but it turned out to be one of my favorites it tells the story of how a man with a rough youth can go from a cold hearted scum bag to someone completely reformed and empathetic it is a touching movie and it moves along at a very good pace building up to the climax where the too men step into the ring i would like to see more titles like this and i will definitely be looking to purchase this some time, and the fact that it was filmed in my hometown is kind of cool too it really helps to relate to the movie, all in all i would give this movie a ten out of ten.. it is one of those that you want to see over and over again

this is my first review. I felt so compelled to write this after I saw the ridiculously low rating attributed to this fine movie.

I must say that I am not easily impressed by movies.I am sure this movie did not have the budget to advertise itself to masses, or hire more recognized actors. However, I was very much moved by the acting, well- polished storyline with great and believable twists, and a satisfying end. For comparison, even though I like Clint Eastwood related movies a lot, and I enjoyed Million Dollar Baby, this one is way better in almost all aspects.It has a great after-taste as well, leaves you high spirited with more hopes for peace of the mankind.