THE BOXER: Another Great One from Daniel Day-Lewis!

  There’s a moment in THE BOXER, when the whole conflict in Northern Ireland is laid bare for all to see:  all the inherent hatred, racism and political manouvrings all wrapped into one tiny, ugly ball and thrown out at the watchers of this film.  It comes as Danny and Ike are watching their beloved gym burn to the ground, courtesy of three young punks who were prodded by a thousand years of instilled hatred.  A seemingly normal woman comes up to them as they watch helplessly and tells them they deserved this because they accepted gym equipment from the British police. 
  It’s against this background that Danny Flynn, upon his release from prison, tries to resurrect his old boxing club as a place where Catholics, Protestants, British and Irish can all release their tensions in a healthy way.  The I.R.A though, as was usually the case, didn’t see things quite that way, and proceeded to thwart Danny’s efforts at every turn.   Daniel Day-Lewis makes a lot of good films, but this one is sheer brilliance.  It took courage for his character to do what he does in the film---both in terms of opening up the gym, and walking away from his boxing career.  It mirrors the courage of the somewhat recent political moves in Northern Ireland that resulted in the current peace enjoyed by that region.  It’s a film with vast political undertones, and it makes its statement with no compunction or wavering.  If I could give this film an 11 out of 10 I would.  It’s that good.

10 out of 10