Harder They Fall

"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...

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.

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.

Wow... after reading some of the other reviews raving about this film, I felt compelled to write some of my own comments.

First of all, in response to the 10 star reviews, come on guys, get real! I guarantee the average person could not even get close to actually finishing this movie.

I came across this travesty (more on that later) while browsing the "Watch Instantly" section on Netflix. First of all, the box art used is not even accurate; it portrays what looks to be a UFC match (octagon-ring and all with a captive audience watching); but, in reality, the fights all take place in a boxing ring situated in the corner of a small gym, with about 10 extras watching.

I didn't have a particular problem with this, as I was going in planning to watch a kickboxing movie, which it was, but 2 sides of the ring were placed against a wall, so it was kind of hard to imagine that any sort of publicized fight would actually take place in this venue.

Production wise, there were several scenes that lacked dialogue (in order to save time and money I'm sure), but since the dialogue present in other scenes was generally weak, this was forgivable. What was not forgivable however was the actual video quality, as the entire feature had an annoying strobe-like quality. While I can usually forgive somewhat poor production values, this was just inexcusable, as were several of the sound effects used; which were somewhat loosely synced by the way.

Overall, I give the filmmakers' credit in one thing and one thing only. The ability to finish a feature film and actually find distribution on what had to be a very, very low budget.

As hard as I am on this review, just remember one thing. A film has to compete against every other film, as they all vie for a viewer's time and money; with that said, aside from the director, crew members and actors getting the experience, it just does not even seem worthwhile making movies of this quality, and that's coming from someone who's a fan of kickboxing and independent films!