For a while around The Playlist water cooler, we debated which of Jake Gyllenhaal‘s three movies due this year would put him in the Oscar race. Would it be the survival tale, "Everest"? The domestic drama, "Demolition"? Or maybe the boxing movie, "Southpaw"? Well, the first trailer has arrived for the latter, and it certainly won’t be that movie. But not because Gyllenhaal isn’t once again giving a committed performance.
Co-starring Rachel McAdams, Forest Whitaker and uh, 50 Cent, the movie tells the story of a champion boxer with issues. He manages to be the catalyst for his wife getting killed, loses custody of his daughter not long after, and has to fight literally and figuratively, to rebuild his life. On paper, that’s all fine. But in the hands of Antoine Fuqua, the drama goes over with all the nuance of dropping a cinder block on your foot. But the boxing scenes looking pretty decent.
"Southpaw" arrives on July 31st. Watch below.