Boxing is a brutal sport; Paddy Considine's 'Journeyman' (which he wrote, directed and acted in) tells the story of a fighter who suffers from brain damage as a result of his craft. The film follows a simple narrative of despair and partial redemption. Considine himself is predictably convincing in the role, but the narrative is limited, precisely because the character's condition limits his ability to take full responsibility for his own life. The film is not straightforwardly anti-boxing: it makes the point that for some people from working class backgrounds, the sport provides their most powerful sense of community. Nonetheless, I'd ban it, at least in its current form.
Review of Journeyman
