Writer and Director: Christopher M. Anthony
The acting is knock-out in this chamber piece opening this year’s Raindance Festival. Set in the 90 minutes before a prestigious boxing match, Heavyweight relies on its characters rather than any fighting in the ring. The story perhaps could do with one more strand to fully justify its runtime, but Jordan Bolger, looking every inch a boxer, ensures that this movie packs a punch.
It starts with the drive into the stadium. Brixton-raised ‘Diamond’ Derek Douglas is on the way to the biggest fight of his career. He’s a late sign-up for a bout with champion Kingsley; the champion’s other two proposed opponents pulled out citing injuries. Perhaps Derek isn’t quite experienced enough for such a fight. But his coach, Adam, thinks he’s ready.
As the jeep, with the registration KO KID, pulls up, Adam hands Derek every sports cliché there is in little under 30 seconds: “We’re where we’re meant to be”, “I’m in your corner”, and “Everything changes tonight”. Fortunately, the dialogue improves as they walk to Derek’s dressing room.
Derek is rattled as his elder brother has yet to arrive, and his anxiety is exacerbated when he discovers that teammate Cain is now working for the opponent, perhaps divulging Derek’s match strategy. Should Derek go ahead and fight as planned, or is it too late to go in with a new approach? Derek loses his temper, with the result that the match may not go ahead at all.
This early drama is heightened by interruptions from the promoter who brings in celebrities for Derek to meet, and by the TV companies who want an interview. Meanwhile, the British Boxing Board of Control needs to confirm that everything complies with the rules. The backstage bureaucracy is fascinating. A member of the opponent’s team – in this case, Cain – witnesses the bandaging of a boxer’s hands before the inspector signs off by writing their initials on the completed binding. Only new gloves are allowed to be worn, and we see Robbie, one of Derek’s team, try to soften the stiff leather.
As this is all going on around him, Derek tries to remain calm, and Bolger gives him a quiet humility that is fractured by fear and anger. He’s mild-mannered, but underneath is a rage and disappointment that Bolger only gives glimpses of to the audience. As his coach, Nicholas Pinnock is tremendous, never really shaking off Adam’s humble start in the business, glimmers of doubt appearing in his eyes even though he tells Derek that he will win.
In his first feature, Writer/Director Christopher M. Anthony never resorts to shouting matches even when Cain (an understated and convincing turn by Osy Ikhile) arrives to stir things up and create doubt within Derek’s team. There is also excellent work by Rob Malone as mouthy Robbie, who worries that his licence may be revoked when the team agree to hide an incident of which the doctor should be informed. The Board’s regulations and Cain’s mind games form the greatest excitement in Heavyweight.
But, of course, Derek’s real opponent is himself, and although Bolger is excellent throughout, revealing a frail, almost childlike masculinity, the film sags a little as the first bell beckons. He is lit like a Christ figure by the end, battered and in tears before he even steps into the ring. Andy Burrows’ tight score helps keep up enough tension to go the full 12 rounds.
Heavyweight will celebrate its World Premiere as the opening feature at 33rd Raindance Film Festival on 18th June.
