Cheap Girlfight (DVD) (Michelle Rodriguez, Jaime Tirelli, Santiago Douglas) (Karyn Kusama) Price

Related Products

Customer Reviews of Girlfight

It's rare that TV station-produced films (this one comes courtesy of IFC) live up to their pre-release hype. Girlfight not only did so, IFC's commercials may have understated the case for this overlooked gem of a film.

Diana Guzman (Michelle Rodriguez [Resident Evil], in her big-screen debut) is a high school student with a very bad attitude and four trips to the principal's office in one semester for fighting. When she's asked to run some money from her father down to the Brooklyn gym where her brother trains, she finds herself intrigued by the idea that people can not only fight without getting called to the principal's office, but might actually get paid for it. From there, it's a pretty small step to begging, borrowing, and stealing in order to come up with the cash for her to start training as well. Hector (Law and Order regular Jaime Tirelli), one of the gym's trainers, is willing to take her on, and away we go.

Part of the brilliance of Girlfight is that it's a sweet movie masquerading as a tough movie. While the film never loses focus on Diana's up-and-coming boxing career, Kusama balances the boxing with Diana's coming-of-age story; it's never explicitly said, but we get the feeling the developing relationship between her and another boxer is, in fact, her first real love affair. Another part of the brilliance is that it's a boxing movie that, well, doesn't have all that much boxing in it. Fight Club this ain't; there's actually very little in-the-ring action, and what there is is quite tastefully done (including some excellent from-the-fighter's-perspective camerawork). At various times during the film, boxer affirmations tacked to the walls of the gym are focused on for a few seconds, and it's obvious that Kusama takes the first one very seriously-that boxing is a game of brains over brawn.

Many mystery novelists could take some from Kusama about how to unobtrusively introduce storylines. There is nothing of artifice in the way the film is set up; everything falls together in just the right way, to the point where much of the film has an almost documentary feel to it. Comparisons are inevitable, warranted, and favorable to Matty Rich's excellent film Straight Outta Brooklyn, but Kusama is a little more slick in her ability to keep everything smooth and well-paced throughout.

Girlfight is yet another film from the supposedly mediocre crop of movies released in the year 2000 that puts paid in no uncertain terms to that judgment. In retrospect, 2000 may have been one of the strongest years for film, especially independent film, we've seen. **** ½

Dont box me in!
American movies rarely focus on the underclass without (a) glamorising the violence inherent within the 'hood' (b hammer you over the head with its socially redeeming message or (c) milk the rare and the bizarre out of the situation to titilate the overstimulated middle class adolescent audience. To its credit this movie attempts none of these. Director Karyn Kusama and lead Michelle Rodriguez can take a lot of credit and pride for the obvious work and thought that has gone into the making of this movie.It deserves all the accolades it has been awarded.

Its naturalistic shooting style and dialogue puts to shame hundreds of movies that have operated on a budget 5 times its scale.Money cant make up for lack of talent or integrity and this movie has that and more.

Diana(Michelle Rodriguez)is a young woman with an attitude. Her constant fighting at school consistently gets her in trouble with the school authorities.Her home life isnt much better with a solo dad bitter with failure and a geek younger brother at odds with the tough urban environment. To toughen him up Dad pays for him to learn boxing at what has got to be the most realistic version of the seedy gym ever filmed.She is attracted by the pugilistic world she encounters and persuades the trainer to take her on and train her.The film revolves around the challenges she has to become a boxer and gain respect,the disapproving father and a burgeoning relationship with one of the other boxers.

Its sucess comes from its simplicity. The director never overplays her hand and every scene has a ring of authenticity to it.She is served well by the lead actress who acts as if the part was written about her and for her.This almost lowkey documentary approach beautifully mirrors the no BS attitude of the character and the boxing subculture of the nickel and dime gym.Her brooding defiant glare says more about this character than 10 pages of dialogue and aptly is the image used to market the film.

Girlfight makes an interesting counterpoint to the othe rave martial movie of the moment,Crouching Tiger,Hidden Dragon.Both films with a stunning young female protagonist,a film grad student could have a field day (and probably will) comparing the gender and power themes inherent in both films,one yin,one yang,one soft,one hard,one on an epic scale, the other made on the others catering budget. Both a triumph for their respective directors.

Great films transcend gender,culture and ideologies.Thats because they reveal truths about the human spirit and soul at a level we all connect to. Girlfight connects with the left, the right, the jab and the uppercut. A winning combination.

inspiring
Michelle rodriguez is utterly convincing in this role. Great underdog movie!