While Rocky might suggest otherwise, in real life most professional boxers never get proper opportunity to reach the top. This is something two protagonists of Play It to the Bone, 1999 sports drama written and directed by Ron Shelton, have reconciled with. Cesar Dominguez (played by Antonio Banderas) and Vince Boudreau (played by Woody Harrelson) are two middle-weight boxers from Los Angeles who are each other’s favourite sparing partners and best friends outside the ring. Life haven’t been kind to them and they missed most chances to advance their respective careers. That might change due to fortunate set events – two boxers that were to appear in preliminary fight before Mike Tyson’s next match in Las Vegas are suddenly unavailable, so sleazy promoter Joe Domino (played by Tom Sizemore) is forced to find replacements on short notice. He offers 100,000 US$ to Dominguez and Boudreau to fight each other and both men agree. Since they lack money for plane tickets, they are being driven to Las Vegas by Grace Pasic (played by Lolita Davidovich), woman with whom both had romantic relationship in the past. The journey, during which they pick up drug-abusing hitch-hiker Lia (played by Lucy Liu), is an opportunity to reassess their lives and friendship.
Ron Shelton has built reputation as one of Hollywood’s top experts for sports-related films. After covering basketball, baseball and golf in his previous works, in Play It to the Bone he deals with boxing, arguably the most Hollywood-friendly sport of all. His approach is somewhat unusual, although many viewers might notice cliches commonly used in various box-related films. The most interesting detail is the inversion of the trope in which bitter rivals (like Rocky Balboa and Apollo Creed) become good friends. In Play It to the Bone the best friends gradually transform into bitter rival. Process culminates in the extremely brutal and long scene of the boxing match during which Dominguez and Boudreau mercilessly pummel each other. Such orgy of violence seems somewhat at odds with more lighthearted and semi-comedic tone that characterises first part of Play It the Bone. Another problem is use of redundant subplots that make the film last for almost two hours. Impression is even worse by ending that might make this film look unfinished. What rescues Play It to the Bone is Shelton’s wife Lolita Davidovich whose charm and comedic talent gives much needed levity to what otherwise would have been rather depressive story.
RATING: 5/10 (++)
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