Ali (2001)
The first thing which struck me about Ali, a biopic of possibly the greatest boxer of all time and flawed man who was also brilliant, was that it is almost 25 years old. I clearly remember reading an Empire Magazine report on its making where there was a quote (from Michael Mann I think) along the lines of “Will Smith could be a professional boxer”. Smith has since proved that even with a sucker punch he can’t drop Chris Rock; and they say power is the last thing to go.
Perhaps Chris Rock has the iron chin of Golovkin, but I doubt it. Training so hard you look great on film doesn’t make you a boxer. I watch boxing up so close when commentating, my other “thing”, I’ve literally spent time trying to get a fighter’s blood out my eye. Smith is given the advantage of having the camera make him look like a great fighter. Will Smith is an actor, a very good one who is perfectly cast as Muhammad Ali. I genuinely can’t think of anyone better to play that role from the era, who could carry the charisma so convincingly.
But Will Smith is not and could most likely never have been a professional fighter. Just want to put that hyperbole to sleep.
Digression, my Dad had the joy of having two of my favourite dogs ever, a pair of boxer siblings, one boy and one girl, who we almost called Cassie and Clay. We settled for Hattie and Jake after one of our favourite comedy legends, though. Also they were white, and so naming them after Ali's "slave name" felt wrong. Michael and Jackie, maybe…
Michael Mann’s film is exceptionally good looking, and whizzes by excitingly. A suitably classy cast (Jamie Foxx, Jon Voight, Jeffrey Wright, Giancarlo Esposito, Jada Pinkett Smith and more) are all in great form and while the fight scenes are superb, so is the drama which builds them.
I’m not a boxing historian, or a pedant, so I watched Ali from a pure spectator’s perspective. Was I entertained? Yes, I loved my return to Ali- if you haven’t seen it do so. If you have, watch it again. 8/10
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