Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
ONE thing that really strikes me as odd is that Bahrain often gets movies years after they've been released in the UK. I saw this film about two years ago, which probably explains the immense de ja vu I got about half way through this movie!
Strength and Honour is about an Irish-American boxer called Sean who accidentally kills his friend in the ring after he gets a little carried away during the fight. Obviously he feels awful about it and promises his wife that he will never box again ... and after she dies of a rare heart disorder, he has every intention of keeping that promise.
However, all that changes a few years after her death when he discovers that his only son is dying of the same hereditary heart disorder (It seems a little bit like a Greek tragedy at times). So, how can a former boxer with a bellow average IQ make enough money to afford the operation that may save his son's life ... you guessed it, que the Rocky music!
Make no bones about it, this film is no Rocky yet it still manages to touch upon some of the same core elements. The themes of this movie include, pride, passion and, of course, (since it's a movie about boxing) pain!
Madsen doesn't really step outside of his comfort zone as a tough guy, but then again, why should he? This is a boxing movie after all and I'm a firm believer in the old adage: 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it'. As much as I hate to typecast actors, the following will always be true ... Jim Carrey will always play the fool, Adam Sandler will always play the adorable dork, Cameron Diaz will always play the ditzy blonde and Michael Madsen will always be a stoic, slightly sarcastic tough guy who loves to beat people up.
The action sequences are done with the same kind of flair and drama that one would expect more from a Guy Ritchie film and I can't tell if that's a coincidence or homage to the seminal cinematographer. Either way, some of the scenes are shot in a breathtaking fashion and really get you invested in what's happening ... which is good because often the dialogue can seem a little stagnant.
Why do I say that? Well, come on, Vinnie Jones is a footballer after all, not an actor. I'm not saying I didn't enjoy the emotional tour de force he brought to his role as Jugernaught in X-Men but let's just say his 'range' doesn't span as wide as the gap between Madonna's two front teeth.
This film will no doubt appeal to men more than women, but lads, is it worth going to see? I wouldn't recommend getting your hopes up about it, this film will NOT dazzle or amaze you, but it is what it is ... a white knuckle ride that will get your male bravado going.
Showing in Cineco, Seef II and Saar Cineplex
