Day of the Fight (2023)
Did you like Boardwalk Empire? Of course you did, it was brilliant. Well, Jack Huston AKA Richard Harrow (one of BE's best characters) has gone all writer/director on our asses and produced a boxing drama, Day of the Fight. I went into the film basically blind, with no trailer watch, because I love boxing and the cast is insane. There’s a few Boardwalk Empire alumni; Michael Pitt leads, supported by Steve Buscemi and Anatol Yusef with Joe Pesci and Ron Perlman adding even more weight.
Michael Pitt is one of my favourite actors, why he’s not more mainstream is beyond me, except that when he does take “Hollywood” films they tend to be not very good ones. Pitt’s performances in the remake of Funny Games, and the nothing-happens-really-but-it’s-a-captivating-meditation-on-loneliness, Last Days, are just perfect. Plus he’s great in Boardwalk Empire.
Day of the Fight is very serious, mysterious and gorgeous in black and white with dashes of colour in flashbacks. Huston's film is loosely based on a 1951 Stanley Kubrick documentary of the same name. Pitt’s Michael “Irish” Flannigan is returning from a decade long hiatus from boxing to take on a daunting title fight at Madison Square Garden. The bulk of the story is Irish doing a whistlestop tour of his old haunts and acquaintances en route to the fight.
Boxing is all about risk versus reward and by the time the actual fight comes, you’re aware quite how much Irish is willing to risk. It makes the bout itself even more exciting and tense and Day of the Fight's fight is superbly put together. The black and white palette is reminiscent of Raging Bull, but Irish is down to earth and likable unlike Jake LaMotta in that film, and you never know whether he’s going to win or lose, again unlike Jake LaMotta.
While quiet and understated, the story sucked me in. Perhaps because of that, in truth. There are dark shadows over Irish and the mystery maintains the attention; the film’s thrilling climax absolutely rewards.
Hats off to Jack Huston; I have seen an awful lot of films, just as much boxing, and many, many boxing films. Day of the Fight is one of the best films, full stop, I have seen in a while. A long while. Pitt is superb and sympathetic, the characters around him organic and sincere. Its strength is in its simplicity; this film will draw you in, excite you and move you. 9/10
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