Velhos Tempos

William DeMeo really must be a nice and communicative guy. He produced, wrote and starred in this film (he's the main character: the Anthony Rodriguez guy, the boxer…) and I think he saved it too.

I'm saying it because sometimes it's only because of him if some really badly written and really badly acted scenes did not kill the entire story.

This is the (long: about two hours) story of a Brooklyn middleweight trying to fight his way through all the difficulties that life and a violent neighborhood put on his path. It's a classic, so don't expect anything original: the plot is catching nonetheless and some very good actors (Alec Baldwin, Danny Glover, William Madsen…) help the film shine and look more real.

Completely copied from multiple great movies, it seems like William tried to put together goodfellas and Rocky. The acting is absolutely horrible, other than Alec Baldwin. William DeMeo should not be blamed, the person or people who told him he could act should be blamed. Christian DeMeo was either forced against his will to be in this movie by his father or was brainwashed when he was young that his father was a good actor.

Cristian demeo plays a younger version of william demeo in this horrible goodfellas rocky rip off. Cris is more horrible than his dad William. William demeo plays Lefty a 60 year old predophiler who wants to go into boxing. The only good actor was Michael Madsen who did this for a paycheck.

A young man grows up In a mob controlled neighbourhood in Brooklyn. Being half Italian and half Puerto Rican he faces constant challenges. His father is a drunk and his mother is always working which gives him ample time to pound the sand bag. Michael Madsen plays a mob boss who sets up the boy with a trainer played by Danny Glover, seeing potential in him. His mother is killed by a hit and run driver which changes his life. He now strives to be middleweight champion of the world.

They try and make a Rocky meets Goodfellas with mostly unbelievable characters. Alec Baldwin and Madsen do fine but the rest? The story focuses on his growing up and the life around him. The run time is two hours which is too long for this one. Mike Tyson's cameo was cheesy as he shows up to give the boxer a pep talk, which looks like he was reading off a prompt.

This film tells the story of a man from Brooklyn, who grew up in a tough neighbourhood controlled by Mafia. With the support from the highest levels of gangsters, he becomes a successful boxer after going through a rough and tough journey.

I thought "Back in the Day" was a film about boxing, but it actually was a film about gangsters and their fights. I like the story because it tells how Anthony's​ childhood shapes the adult he becomes. He has a lot of good virtues, such as loyalty and determination. His friendship with Matty and his love for Maria are well portrayed, while the metaphorical and physical fights with his nemesis Dominic are realistic. I enjoyed the film.