If a good old-fashioned redemption story filled with surprises and twists seems appealing, then Ben Younger’s new film Bleed For This  is the film to watch. Taking place in the 1990’s, the film stars Miles Teller as Rhode Island’s very own boxer Vinny Pazienza (better known as “The Pazmanian Devil”). Pazienza’s cocky and rude attitude does not pay dividends at the beginning of the movie.

At the MGM Grand ring in Las Vegas, he loses his first championship bout, putting his career in jeopardy. However, the loss was not his greatest challenge. A few months later, “The Paz” was involved in a car crash,  resulting in a partially broken neck and spinal fractures. Against all odds, Pazienza trains his way back to championship form and ends up taking down the great Roberto Duran in Las Vegas to secure the title of middleweight world champion.

Despite this captivating story plot, the movie makes its mark by focusing on Pazienza’s “family first” attitude. No matter how big Pazienza’s ego grew, he always remembered where he came from throughout the movie, and he makes frequent trips home to Providence, Rhode Island, where he surrounded himself with family and friends. Director Ben Younger does an admirable job sticking to the true storyline as well, as he did not fabricate any parts of the story to add suspense or intrigue. Instead, his devotion to the real-life plot was more than satisfying for the audience because of the way he contrasted Pazienza’s attitude before and after the accident. This contrast between a legendary world champion boxer to a humble, blue collar fighter from Rhode Island, creates a different perspective for the viewer while showing the people that anything is possible through hard work and perseverance. “The Paz” never forgot where he came from, who helped him along the way, and who cared about him most, making his redemption story even sweeter.

Despite all of the film’s successes, it did come with some small failures. Younger failed to detail Pazienza’s childhood, which would have given the audience some initial perspective on who Vinny Pazienza was before he became “The Pazmanian Devil.” Additionally, the lack of focus on Pazienza’s opposition in the ring was disappointing, because it created a one-sided viewpoint of Pazienza’s life. The audience rarely hears from Roberto Duran, who was the clear favorite heading into the bout with Pazienza. All in all, Bleed For This was a resounding success, and is well worth the watch.

Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐∙

4 out of 5 stars