Hands of Stone movie

I don't even care if it's that bad. I'm just glad to see a movie about Duran and Arcel!

 

I saw it on the first night and ended up re-publishing "The Fifth God of War" over at TSS with a new title: "The Greatest Fighter Alive."

Two major complaints.

1. Freddie Brown appears for about 2 seconds and is given only a token nod by De Niro/Arcel. That's just silly. First of all -Grizzled old De Niro looks a helluva lot more like Brown than like the more delicately featured Arcel. Brown, as any Duran fan knows, was the real teacher there. Arcel would come in at the end of the training camp to make adjustments and discuss strategy.

There's one scene where Arcel leaves and Duran chases him, apologizing. That happened all the time with Brown, not Arcel.

2. The writer-director took the Leonard/Dundee fable about Leonard being 'lured into a maschismo battle by Duran's rudeness and didn't fight his fight.' Besides being a lie, it has the effect of diminishing one of boxing history's great victories and Duran's greatest victory.

Anyway, those two serious issues prompted the republish on The Sweet Science.com.

Another complaint was having to be subjected first to "Duran"'s butt going up and down and then "Leonard"'s butt doing the same with his wife. Who needs that? I don't.

De Niro was all right. I couldn't get by the Freddie Brown thing enough to really appreciate what he was or was not doing. Ramirez did pretty well -touching upon- Duran's savagery and big heart. Usher was a surprise --surprisingly good I thought.

I brought a lady who is a big boxing fan and she said "This may be the first time the actors playing the real people are not as good-looking as the real people!"

A highlight for someone like me who has watched Duran-Leonard I 693 times and Duran-Moore 578 times was the choreography. They really went all out to try to capture the little touches and nuances in those fights.

 

Does anyone get the film was made at least 50% because DeNiro attached himself to it ? What does DeNiro care if he is absolutely nothing like Arcel in looks , body type or sound or for cutting out the Freddie Brown role despite the fact Brown was closer w Duran. Then u get Usher attached and that's the film. No offense to Duran who I love but there is really little that makes him a topic of a major motion picture in the States to start with. Trying to make him some sort of quasi-pretty boy complex figure to American audiences, come on. It was doomed to go straight to Netflix and it will ..

 

Interesting review. I'll likely go see it even though I have to drive much futher than I'd like as for some reason of the 11 theaters near my house don't seem to be playing it. And while I don't think I've watched Duran - SRL I and Duran -Moore as much as you, I do watch these fights a lot. As is the case with Duran - Barkley, which I still find amazing everytime I watch it.

 

Brown would have been a more interesting character because he was a more interesting character than Arcel, and De Niro would have had a more challenging role on his hands.

Duran is a fascinating character and he did fascinate this country (US) during the late 70s and into the 80s. Everyone knew who he was and not merely because of the Leonard rematch. ---He made the cover of Sports Illustrated and was in 7-up commercials.

Micky Ward is about as exciting as a bowl of bland soup and his movie was a big hit over here. Al Pacino is on record saying that the inspiration for his character of Tony Montana in "Scarface" was Duran.

The movie could have and should have been three times what it was but in an era where every mainstream craft is built not around craftsmanship but on shortcuts, it's all we can expect.

 

Never could get into movies about fighters where I lived through their era. I saw all the real bouts and know the real story.....no need to see it badly dramatized.

 

I liked Edgar Ramirez in the Carlos the Jackal films.

I can't stand Usher, but then Ray Leonard's always been a bit annoying too.

 

On that note, Al Pacino was originally slated to play Arcel and had to back out do to other commitments.

 

Agreed. Even staying within the boundaries of Duran's career, De Niro is apparently excellent portraying Ray Arcel as the driving force behind Duran. Never mind that Roberto himself credits Freddie Brown as his true mentor.

 

Superb post! I keep coming to these forums knowing I'll occasionally get to read stuff like that amongst all the clutter and tat deposited by the 'Canela' and 'Little G' trolls.

 

They capture the essence of Duran and Leonard, but it plays fast and loose with some of the facts and succumbed to the theatrical need to weave in the love story. DeNiro gives a grating performance and the does a good job of telling Ray Arcel's story.

I would recommend it, but in part to support a historical boxing movie effort,

 

Looking forward to seeing the film regardless of the reviews, i just enjoy these for what they are

 

Nice review here..

http://www.thesweetscience.com/feature-articles/27313-hands-stone-movie-got-right-part