The Boxer is an Irish/American 1997 drama movie directed by Jim Sheridan, presented on DVD.
The team behind Academy Award® winning films My Left Foot and In The Name of The Father, filmmaker Jim Sheridan and Daniel Day-Lewis reunite to explore a potent drama about loyalty, dedication and the power of courage.
Danny Flynn (Oscar® winner Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln) is a boxer with a lot of baggage. Having served 14 years of prison for associating with IRA terrorists, he returns to his Belfast neighbourhood to begin life anew. It is a time of considerable change, as local IRA leader Joe Hamill (Brian Cox, Braveheart) attempts to negotiate a peace treaty with the British. As Danny channels his purpose into a neighbourhood boxing gym he is reunited with former girlfriend Maggie (Oscar® nominee Emily Watson, Hilary and Jackie). But as Danny’s fortunes shift favourably, he soon becomes caught in a cross-fire of violence and deceit that will truly rock his world.
Awards
- Won Best European Film (Goya Awards 1999)
- Nominated Best Motion Picture Drama (Golden Globes, USA 1998)
- Nominated Best Director – Motion Picture Jim Sheridan (Golden Globes, USA 1998)
- Nominated Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama Daniel Day-Lewis (Golden Globes, USA 1998)
- Two other wins
- Nominated for 3 other awards
The Boxer Movie Reviews
“It's a tribute to Day-Lewis that he can play a character like Danny – cautious, withdrawn, inarticulate – and endow him an eloquence and grace that aren't dependent on language. Without him, The Boxer might still be a powerful tale of loyalty and love, with a core of moral complexity; with Day-Lewis in the lead, it approaches greatness.” San Francisco Chronicle
“Mr. Day-Lewis, looking wearily rugged and battling his way through several plausible boxing matches, once again breathes fire into the character of a high-minded loner, and his vitality lends real force to the film's moral arguments.” The New York Times
“Amid a cacophony of cack-handed hijacks of Irish politics for Hollywood gain, Jim Sheridan's clear, intelligent directorial voice once again hits the strident notes of realism.” Empire
“Although it seems to borrow the pattern of the traditional boxing movie, the boxer here is not the usual self-destructive character, but the center of maturity and balance in a community in turmoil.” Chicago Sun-Times
“Intelligently conceived and well- acted, this compact, straightforward drama about two ordinary people caught in the ongoing political crossfire packs enough punch to command audience interest, but won't light up critics or the B.O. to the extent achieved by the team's previous outings, "My Left Foot” and “In the Name of the Father.” Variety