Jawbone (2017)

Very well executed

Beautiful, moving film.

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Unexpectedly good boxing/addiction movie considering the amount of Hollywood and European movies produced in the last 50 years.It's hard to explore new territories, and not using the usual clichés most boxing films rely on. Jawbone doesn't innovate or bring new concepts here, but the execution is great.Acting is very good, supporting cast does a good job, Johnny Harris is an actor that can communicate without the use overacting, which is rare nowadays.The cinematography is beautiful sometimes, has that independent flick vibe. There are some closeup shots and some details that look great (one takes places at night, in the gym, where you can see the steam of the body heat that rises).Some say it has no point, it does not prove anything ... I'd say otherwise, it's an episode in someone's life, and much like in reality, the end doesn't have to be always very meaningful and reach a climax.It felt like an honest movie, depicting reality, hopelessness without using the motivation clichés that will make some feel good in the end.Highly recommended, for boxing fans and anti mainstream cinema fans.

The story of a man down on his luck is as familiar as it gets. Boxing as a metaphor for human struggle and inner conflict is also very much tried and tested. So for star and writer of this redemption tale, Johnny Harris, to come up with something so endearingly heartfelt is a testament to the mans talent and ability.I never write about a films plot, I only like to convey a sense of what the experience provided etc. This film will make you feel something; empathy, sadness, hope, pity - all the ingredients of a rock bottom and up film. Yes, it's a boxing film. But that shouldn't deter viewers who don't enjoy the pugilistic genre or sport itself. This is a brilliantly written, produced and acted film that focuses on one man's incredibly bleak prospects and overcoming the insurmountable he has created for himself. A man who is proud yet lacking dignity and how he turns to the only vestige he knows in order to claw it back.This is a no nonsense film that ticks every box you could hope for in an indie flick. Expertly directed by Thomas Napper it manages to avoid all the many tropes and hackneyed marks that most boxing films run into and leaves you feeling privileged to have seen it.

Take everything you thought you knew about boxing movies ... and forget it.Instead of a movie about someone looking to break into the sport, here is a movie about someone looking to break into Life, having wasted most of theirs. And boxing is all he knows.It is a testament to the skill of the writer and director that, by the time the big fight arrives, you the audience don't have a clue how it will turn out. That by itself is an accomplishment.Speaking of accomplishments, Harris hands us one of the most amazing performances I have ever seen. To re-use a tired cliché, he literally delivers most of his dialog in this film with his eyes.And Winstone may possibly have delivered one of the most subtle and nuanced performances of his career, and makes max use of every second of screen time.You could possibly say it is a modern update of Requiem for a Heavyweight (1962). Or you could simply call it what it is -- an extraordinary movie.Recommended? Hell, yes.

I really liked this UK movie about an alcoholic boxer who is down on his luck and is given a chance at redemption. Okay, not an original movie but certainly one where you care about the main character Jimmy. It could have been better, as it was slow in parts, but the last fifteen minutes are the best boxing moments I have seen in a movie. I was screaming at the screen for Jimmy (Johnny Harris, brilliantly played) and for him to recover from his pugilistic pummeling. Director Thomas Napper has done a great job, though he could have ramped up the tension if he's tried a little harder. Ian McShane and Ray winstone were only there to entice viewers to watch it and did very little for the film. But, nevertheless, I totally recommend this movie. I want to see more from Napper in the future.