The Boxer

Yes, I loved "My Left Foot." Yes, this movie has lots of gritty detail. Yes, the acting's all that I expected. But, especially after just viewing the same team's "Some Mother's Son," I'm afraid my only printable comment is, "a fairy tale."

This is a very good movie, although on a now familiar topic of the Northern Ireland conflict. Its greatness, though, stems from an extraordinary performance from that most extraordinary of movie actors, Daniel Day-Lewis. The strength of Day-Lewis's portrayal of the ex-con boxer who is released from to return to a city divided by war and police barriers, is in the silence of the character. Day-Lewis's ability to convey depths of emotion through a look, a nod, a glance, a hand movement, is what makes him perhaps the best actor working (when he decides to work) today. This role, and the excellent Emily Watson's performance, allow this movie to rise well above the potentially trite (though always riveting) subject matter to make this film most worthwhile.