Review of Bleed for This (2016) by Albaab R — 14 Aug 2018

A tough performance by Miles Teller in an average boxing movie.

Miles Teller (Whiplash, Divergent) stars as Vinny "The Pazmanian Devil" Pazienza, a local Providence boxer who shot to stardom after winning two world title fights. After a near-fatal car accident leaves Vinny with a broken neck, he is told he may never walk again. Against all odds and doctor's orders, renowned trainer Kevin Rooney (Aaron Eckhart) agrees to help Vinny return to the ring just a year after the accident for what could be the last fight of his life.

Miles Teller has been one of my favorite actors. He started out as that stereotypical, douche friend in rom-coms, but he's really gone and made a career for himself now. "Bleed for This" is certainly not my favorite film of his, but I think it shows diversity and a range within his acting skills. I was really impressed with his performance here and it adds to his impressive resume. If anything, the main reason why I wanted to watch this was because of him.

This is an inspirational story, sure, but the execution is what matters. If this is based on a true story, than that alone brings volumes of emotions to it. But in terms of the writing and the directing, I thought it was just average. I didn't feel like this film did anything different from any other boxing film to really encapsulate my attention. I felt like there was a lot here but they didn't really know what to focus on. Yeah, I understand, learning about one man in less than 2 hours is tough, but it can be done. I felt like the execution here was just average at best.

What did get me was the film's ability to get me to cling onto my seat. There are some moments that are really tense just based on the situation and the physical condition of our protagonist. I felt those nerves tingle and that's a good thing.

In the end, "Bleed for This" is a solid boxing film, just not one of the best out there.