GIRLFIGHT (2000) — friday night fights at the movies!
September 23rd, 2011 by Mr. C
Director: Karyn Kusama
Stars: Michelle Rodriguez, Ray Santiago, Santiago Douglas, Jaime Tirelli,
Genre: boxing drama
This film is on my top 10 favorite boxing movies of all time. It offers a look at a raw, gritty, and unglamorous look at boxing under the covers without all of the hollywood bon bons. Girlfight is Michelle Rodriguez’s breakout film and she defintely broke out with an intense portrayal of Diana Guzman, a troubled teen in the Red Hook section of Brooklyn with a Dad that was abusive to her mom. The opening sequence of the film would reveal that signature cold, death stare that cuts like a knife which Michelle Rodriguez would be known for. Those freaking eyes my lad, those killer eyes! She is one intense young lady with the looks and a left hook that kills! Diana’s bottled up anger would be present at school and at home with her father and younger brother. She would eventually find her solitude in the art of boxing as her anger would turn into rage with technique! A deadly combination! She discovers boxing when she escorts her brother, Tiny (Ray Santiago) home from training at the front street boxing gym after she pays the trainer for his services as instructed by the shit head dad! Diana adores the soft spoken and gentle Tiny as she acts like a bodyguard for him. She even cold clocks a boxer who lended a cheapshot to her little bro! Soon, Diana would seek out Hector the trainer (Jaime Tirelli) so she can fuel her anger with boxing and also to have an outlet to express herself and more importantly, express it on someones face! Hector would soon fill the shoes of that father figure that Diana wished she had. Suffice to say, she would also have a confrontation with the real dad in her own brooklyn way!
After being tweaked into a well tuned fighting machine at the renowned boxing gym in the DUMBO section of Brooklyn (Gleason’s Gym), Diana would not turn down any bouts including fights with males and a more established women boxer. All would get a chance to taste that Red Hook thunder with her thudding combinations in the ring! Things would get turned upside down as she meets Adrian (Santiago Douglas), a boxer from Gowanus who is looking to get out of the hood courtesy of his fists. Love would be their next opponent as they bob and weave through a few hood rats, obstacles, and emotional monkeys! A surprise bout in the ring between Adrian vs Diana scheduled by their promoters would test their relationship…and their chins!
Girlfight is a raw in your face film, y’all! Michelle Rodriguez is the urban Million Dollar Baby! Check out this joint if it somehow eluded you!
Tags: boxing, movies, mr c
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