Boxer

The Polish continue their successful streak with Netflix, delivering another solid film. From a technical standpoint, there’s really not much to fault—it’s well-made and has plenty of entertainment value. However, the ratings don’t quite reflect that, and I think it’s partly because, after a series of high-quality Polish films, the bar has been set really high. Perhaps the filmmakers got a little too ambitious here. The story is a fictional one, but it’s set in a very real time period, referencing not just one athlete but an entire phenomenon of athletes fleeing from a communist regime to the West. The acting is top-notch, with Eryk Kulm and Eryk Lubos delivering brilliant performances, and Adrianna Chlebicka holding her own as well. But the fictional angle feels a bit odd, and the screenplay doesn’t offer many surprises—it’s a mix of things we’ve seen before. At nearly three hours long, the film can feel like it’s dragging, but it’s worth sticking it out—the ending is genuinely beautiful. (16/09/2024)

That was awesome!!! A Polish version of Rocky with the works, an incredible spectacle that grabs you by the balls right from the opening and holds them until the intense ending that emotionally throws you around like the craziest roller coaster. Not only have the Poles dominated the gangster genre, but now they have completely dominated the boxing genre as well. The film works great in the ring (the punches hurt even me, with perfect cinematography and rough fights that make it a full-fledged competitor to Creed). But it works surprisingly well outside the ring too. The family drama is delivered downright brilliantly, the acting is top-notch. Eryk Kulm is amazing, but his wife, played by Adrianna Chlebicka, is also excellent, Eryk Lubos also excels; everyone impressed me with their performance, the retro atmosphere, the dialogue and the script are also perfect, and the chase for a better life from Poland to London is really enticing. In the end as everything classically starts to go to shit – I was shaking my head – it's an incredible powerhouse that emotionally destroyed me like nothing I've seen in a long time. I can't remember the last time a story got me so excited that I was engrossed and biting my nails for two and a half hours. Really top notch and the best Netflix thing this year. 9/10. (18/09/2024)