I go to the movies nearly every week with a movie group.  This group of guys is notorious for checking out every sports movie that comes along, so when a film about Champion Boxer Vinny Pazienza was announced, I knew that this would be on the docket.

And, I'm glad it was, for the most part.

BLEED FOR THIS tells the remarkable true story of a Boxing Champion who, after winning the championship, suffers a broken neck in an auto accident.  Doctors are concerned if he 'll ever walk again.  Pazienza is concerned with something else - will he ever fight again.  

It's an incredible story, one of true "triumph of the human spirit" that was just waiting to be told on screen and with the intense Miles Teller in the lead role, this movie had the makings of something special.  Joining Teller with strong performances are Katy Segal (as his mother),the always good Ciaran Hinds (as his father) and my new favorite actor, Aaron Eckhart, off his strong supporting performance in SULLY , with another strong supporting performance as Pazienza's trainer who sticks with him the whole way.

With these ingredients sitting there, this film was poised to be very good and since it was written and directed by the same person - Ben Younger (Boiler Room) - it was going to have a very specific, personal focus.

And that's where this movie falls short.

Younger, I think, fell in love with his script and was duty-bound to put every word, every gesture, every thought on film - and this drags it down.  We are treated to long periods of Teller, as Pazienze, struggling, thinking and working out on his own.  Not the items that make for great drama and by the time we get to the climactic fight at the end of the film (name me a boxing movie that doesn't have a climactic fight at the end of the film),I just didn't care enough about the outcome to be excited, I just wanted it to be over.

Overall, a "good enough" time.  If you enjoy sports films - and especially if you like boxing films - then you'll like this.  If you like fast action and stirring conflict, you might want to look elsewhere.

6 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank (ofMarquis)

This is a biopic of boxer Vinny Pazienza. He's an obsessed gambler. His boxing is faltering after three consecutive losses. Even his manager advises him to quit in a TV interview. As he makes his comeback, he gets into a car accident on his way to a casino. He is endangered of never walking again. Despite the dangers, he secretly trains with his head halo brace. At first, no one is willing to fight him due to his injury but with some media attention, he gets a title fight with champion Roberto Durán.

This is sorta like Rocky without the romance. My only drawback is that I don't love Vinny. It's not that he's mean-spirited or villainous in any way. It's more like he's self-destructive and not in a loveable way. Maybe they could downplay his gambling instead of highlighting it. He's bull-headed which could work during his halo section but it's already used-up by his gambling. Some parts work better than others. The biopic aspects work even if I don't like the content sometimes. There is a stereotypical reality to the characters and Vinny has my grudging respect.

The film is based on the true boxing story of World Champion Boxer Vinny Pazienza (Miles Teller). It starts with his defeat in November of 1988 to Roger Mayweather (Peter Quillin). It appeared his career was a wash and after a training music montage he won the second fight of the film, 30 minutes into it with the training help of Aaron Eckhart, going whiplash all over Gilbert Dele. The fight was a set up and he was expected to lose. Paz gets into an auto accident and the bulk of the film is about his remarkable comeback.

The film skips a few fights in between. Paz didn't go from training to title bout as the film portrays, forgivable for time considerations. I thought the acting was excellent, decent New England accents. At the end of the film you get to see the real characters on which the production was based and they looked were remarkably similar. Good casting. Good film for the genre. Good sound track.

Guide: F-word. Nudity ( Noelle Trudeau, Christine Evangelista)