Girlfight(2000)

The Long Review:

I didn't make the cheerleading team. In Girlfight, this is Diana's (Michelle Rodriguez) cheeky, one-lined explanation for why she opted to throw punches in the ring instead of yell cheers on the field (like nice, normal girls do). But Diana isn't your average gal. Way far from it. Born and raised in a tough Brooklyn neighbourhood, she's learned to be tough in order to deal with her less-than-ideal life. While other girls her age are dating, she's fighting; while they join the choir and attend pep rallies, she's hauled up in detention or getting into trouble. You could say that her motto is A girl ain't gotta do what a girl's gotta do. And you should hear this girl talk the talk while she walks the walk! She ain't no Spice Girl!

But girl power she has! When Diana decides to get into boxing after getting turned on by the sweat and adrenaline she sees when she picks up her younger brother from boxing training, she finds something more constructive to do with all that anger and attitude. 'Guess it's better than anger management therapy! Diana struts her stuff in the training facility and shows her little brother's coach, Hector (Jaime Tirelli) and the rest of the gym that she's no powder puff. Hard as a rock is more like it! So now, while the girlie girls at school wear short shirts and make-up, tough-as-nails Diana sports boxing trunks and a shiny black eye. She's a good boxer. Better still, she doesn't have a taste for human ears. Like some other boxer we know. Ahem.

Girlfight does a good job of portraying the struggle of a young girl to find and make something of herself. It's a nice change from the boring, formulaic stories we've always gotten. You know, outcast girl finds some zit cream, contacts, make-up, and skintight clothes and becomes popular overnight, then finds a hunky Prince Charming, thus completing her oh-so-surprising (NOT!) metamorphosis from yucky to hottie. Girlfight spares us this boring ol' format. What we get instead is a discovery and change that come from the inside instead of a cosmetic bottle. There is no Prince Charming, just a regular dude. And there is no tonne of make-up piled high on a fake face.

This movie also doesn't put much emphasis on the punches and knockouts that happen in the ring, the way the legendary Rocky collection does. None of that Adrian, Adrian stuff. The fighting that the movie focuses on is internal. You know, deeper stuff. So if you're into the whole boxing thing, don't expect Girlfight to quench your thirst for action by delivering knockout fight sequences. You're going to have to see Rocky or something. Adrian! Adrian!

But don't fret. Girlfight gives some lovey-dovey. And the lovin's good. No, not because there's hot, heavy, kinky, sweaty sex. There is no sex. Huh?! You say. But what you get is better, in our opinion. Huh?! You say. What can be better than sex?! How 'bout the real thing, baby? We'll explain. Do you remember being sixteen and discovering that hormones are your friends instead of a lifelong curse? Do you remember the first time you got close to somebody (inflatable dolls don't count) and got some nice PG-rated sumin' sumin'?? Do you remember the nervousness, fright, excitement, anticipation…all rolled into one giant moment? Aaaaah. This is what Girlfight delivers as it shows the budding romance that develops between the Queen of the Ring and the King of the Ring, Adrian (Santiago Douglas). Adrian! Adrian! Hehehe. We don't get the sappy music or the batting eyelashes or the cheesy lines. We get it the way we had it. Nor porn action here but somehow, it's more erotic. Good stuff.

Girlfight's plot also has enough conflict to keep you satisfied. There are some events that you just don't see coming. This story just refuses to make it easy on the protagonist. Unlike the girls from Clueless or every other chick flick, Diana has to work and fight for what she gets. It's not easy being a female boxer, you know. It's not easy being female, period. This movie makes sure that you understand that.

And the cast helps make you understand that, too. Michelle Rodriguez throws all the punches as she plays the role of a misunderstood, angry teen who ironically rediscovers her innocence and womanliness after she puts on a pair of boxing gloves. She goes through all the proper emotions with such maturity, you forget that you're watching a rookie. Veteran actresses could learn a thing or two from her, we tell ya. Jaime Tirelli as her coach is believable as a replacement father figure who sees something more in Diana than just an angry scowl and a foul mouth. You end up loving the guy, too. Santiago Douglas earns our sympathy and respect as he struggles with the problem of having a girlfriend who has just as much man in her as he does. Probably more. Oops. How would you like it if your girlfriend could throw a meaner punch than you? Hah! Poor guy, huh? Whattaman! Ray Santiago as Diana's younger brother being forced to take on the stereotypical Latino macho man role is pretty decent, too.

Where some people may find some fault is in the movie's cinematography. Scene transition is choppy and sloppy and picture quality is just plain bad. But this could go both ways. The less than stellar cinematography could either add or take away from your viewing experience. Really. You may find that the grainy picture on the screen contributes to the whole reality effect. And that's good. Or you may find that the poor cinematography just plain irritates you, making the movie sucky. It can be all subjective, really.

All cinematographic issues aside, Girlfight is a good dramatic movie. It does a good job of calling attention to a) the hardships of girlhood and b) the challenges that a girl goes through to earn some kudos in the world of boxing. And it says and shows what it has to at a steady pace so you don't feel like punching yourself just to keep awake. It's low on the boxing action and the sexy stuff but it's high on acting caliber and character development. And that's good stuff, too. Overall, it's a good movie that delivers the punches at all the right moments.

Ebert's satisfaction:

ebert says	moviegurus say
Great swatches of Girlfightare constructed, indeed, out of generic expectations. But the stuff in outer space is unexpected, the surprise waiting out there is genuine, and meanwhile, there's an abundance of charm and screen presence from the four veteran actors.	We agree that the four veteran actors had charm and presence. And that big chunks of the movie were built on generic expectations. But unlike you, we weren't surprised about any of the outer space stuff. Been there, seen that. We're surprised you haven't. We thought you've been around a while?!
The actors know where the laughs and thrills are and respect them.	Yup, it's a good thing that these big-name actors didn't overact to prove that they're still worthy. And they actually made us chuckle a couple of times!
We leave the theater with grave doubts that the scene depicted in the final feel-good shot is even remotely possible, but what the hell; it makes us smile.	Yeah, it made us smile because it was just so unbelievable. Oh, well. It was a good effort.