Review of Fighting Tommy Riley

In theme and execution, Fighting Tommy Riley owes less to Rocky and more to Gods and Monsters. I know that there are many thematic differences between the two films, but there are enough similarities to call attention to them. In Riley, written by and starring J.P.Davis, once again an aging homosexual takes a straight, young uneducated hunk under his wing. Here, as in Monsters, the younger man is at first repulsed by his mentor's sexual predilections and then, through frustration, confusion and a feeling of responsibility, offers himself to the older man. Riley, a well meaning, if predictable film, even ends as Monsters does with the older man committing suicide and the younger man finding his way back to his girlfriend. One main difference between the two films is that Gods works on every level from start to finish, while Riley,though laced through with some touching moments and some good dialog, spends too much of its time revisiting the same boxing clichés we have seen forever.

I would like to see more from J.P. Davis as a writer as there is certainly promise there. Fighting Tommy Riley is far from a bad movie. It's just not good enough to be able to recommend with no reservations.