From the streets of Panama to legendary status, the life of the legendary boxer Roberto “Hands of Stone” Duran is now the subject of a biopic of epic proportions.
From the outset, the film plunges into the world of boxing with intensity. Inside Madison Square Garden in New York, during a 66-second fight, Roberto Duran, played by Venezuelan actor Edgar Ramirez (“Libertador,” “Carlos,” “Joy”), knocks out his opponent.
Robert De Niro plays the well-known trainer Ray Arcel, who fondly remembers his first meeting with Duran.
Arcel will never forget Duran’s punching power.
In the locker room, Ruben Blades (“The Maldonado Miracle” and “The Milagro Beanfield War”) portrays Duran’s ambitious manager, Carlos Eleta.
Carlos emphasizes the bond between the boxer and the controversial American trainer. Interestingly, after each fight, Duran likes to eat lots of ice cream to boost his confidence.
To learn the ropes and become a world champion, Duran needs to tone down his anti-American rhetoric and start working with his new American trainer. He must focus on the fundamentals. They had to move to Panama for training because Arcel was banned from coaching anyone in the US. If Duran wants to succeed, he must perfect his technique with the world’s best trainer. “Boxing is a mental game. Prison is a mental state.”
The main difference between Mexican and Panamanian boxers is that Panamanians are often trained to salsa music, which helps improve their movements and shape their fighting styles. For Panamanians, every Duran fight against an American opponent was turned into a political showdown.
The differences between these two countries are clearly shown in the film. Duran represented hope for his people. The same people who suffered from American colonialism saw every Duran championship as a chance to gain strength and resilience.
Roberto Duran, along with Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, and Julio Cesar Chavez, is considered one of the greatest boxers in history. It took director Jonathan Jakubowicz (“Secuestro Express”) seven years to bring his vision to the big screen. The Venezuelan filmmaker wanted to tell the story of a Latino hero, but had to wait for all the pieces to fall into place.
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| Director Jonathan Jakubowicz, photo by Jose Alberto Hermosillo, Copyrights @ Festival in LA 2016 |
As an outsider, the director was able to objectively portray the political turmoil and the conflict with the USA over the ownership of the Panama Canal.
Filmmakers shot every fight with different lenses to recreate the authentic atmosphere of each specific period, making the film more believable.
In “Hands of Stone,” the actors nailed their characters perfectly.
Edgar Ramirez, playing Duran, is outstanding. He trained for nine months before fully immersing himself in the role and starting the physical transformation needed to match the real-world champion’s level.
This is Robert De Niro’s best performance in years.
Celebrity star and well-known singer “Usher” Raymond IV, who has appeared in other impressive movies, “The Faculty,” “In the Mix,” and “Light It Up,” is natural, charismatic, and exceptional. He portrayed the remarkable American champion Sugar Ray Leonard very convincingly.
The film’s hyper-realism reduces the symbolism because we never learn the origin of the nickname “Hands of Stone.”
In “Hands of Stone,” the transitions seamlessly move from the drama of the fights to the poverty of its people and the parallels with social and political conflict. Then, it shifts back to the humanity of the charismatic Latino hero, Duran.
The famous “No Más Fight” took place with Ray Leonard on November 25, 1980, at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans.
The outstanding performances compensate for the unbalanced and poorly structured script, which is a negative aspect that weakens much of the champion’s journey.
De Niro’s narration dominates the film, as we see too much of his character. Two compelling storylines compete against each other. For example, we did not need to know anything about Arcel’s unnatural junkie daughter because that doesn’t add anything to Duran’s story.
“Hands of Stone” is not a character-driven story; it’s more of an ensemble cast plot, with other equally essential characters besides the champion.
In 2013, Lee Daniels’ The Butler tells two compelling stories: one follows the life of the Butler inside and outside of the White House, and the other is about his son, an anarchist member of the Freedom Riders fighting for Civil Rights in America. The title is not “The Butler & Son.” In Duran’s movie, the title is not “Hand of Stone & Ray Arcel.”
“Hands of Stone” is entertaining, likable, and exciting for viewers, but the delivery is confusing and unconvincing.
The significance of Duran’s movie lies in showcasing a real Latino hero, something that seems almost impossible due to the scarcity of positive Latino representations in Hollywood.
“Hands of Stone” is an inspiring film about the life of one of the greatest boxers in history, his journey, and his legacy to the Panamanian people and the world. It is worth watching.
Siempre me gusta mucho leer tus revisiones, confío en tu crítica objetiva y clara. Si veo que te gustó una película por seguro que es buena
ReplyDeleteSiempre me gusta mucho leer tus revisiones, confío en tu crítica objetiva y clara. Si veo que te gustó una película por seguro que es buena
ReplyDeleteGracias Natalia Solache, me gusta mucho que te guste lo que escribo, eso motiva a seguir adelante.
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