'Bruised' Review: A Gruelling Endeavour with Mixed Results
Much like how ‘The Wrestler’ was augmented by Mickey Rourke’s real-life reputation, and the quality of the ‘Rocky’ films seemed to reflect the career of Sylvester Stallone, so too does ‘Bruised’ seem to be enhanced by its lead actor. On the one hand, Halle Berry is one of the most accomplished and highest-paid actors of her generation; on the other hand, many of her film choices and performances have resulted in her becoming an easy target in film circles on the Internet. One can only imagine the bruising she’s taken in her time, but Berry has always weathered it and bounced back. Now she’s back, starring in her directorial debut ‘Bruised.’
Jackie Justice is a woman who once fought in the UFC, and is now an aging train wreck of a human being. She lives with her equally washed-up manager and boyfriend Desi (Adan Canto), and it’s clear that they are wallowing in failure and self-pitying alcoholism. In one of the film’s more poignant scenes, Jackie sneaks into her own home and fills an empty spray bottle with some of Desi’s liquor as her own secret stash.
As the film begins, she and Desi are scraping out a meagre living, with Desi urging her to try fighting again. Much as she resists, her instincts rise to the surface whenever she’s pushed into a corner. During one of those instances, she catches the attention of a man named Immaculate (Shamier Anderson). He is determined to give Jackie a chance at a comeback. However, Jackie is stunned when her mother (Adriane Lenox) arrives unexpectedly with a scared-looking little boy in tow. This is Jackie’s son, Manny, whom Jackie abandoned during her fighting heyday. Now, however, Manny’s father has died, and Manny has nowhere else to go but to live with a mother who was dead to him. It’s clear that neither Jackie nor Manny are happy with this new arrangement, and the film devotes a lot of time to their shared trauma over this new shift.
There is a lot to like about this film. As an actor, Berry has a commanding presence onscreen; it’s remarkable how effortlessly she embodies the character of Jackie. She displays immense strength through rigorous workouts and a genuinely intense final fight against the reigning flyweight champion, and she also gives us moments of great vulnerability, such as when she barely makes it into the bathroom while going through a crippling panic attack.
As a director, Berry is also adept. The film’s soundtrack is filled with the likes of Cardi B and Lotta, even as the cinematography captures this story from a personal, sometimes intimate perspective. Berry is also generous to the supporting cast. The film has a runtime which exceeds two hours; this allows for some great acting moments and character development. Danny Boyd Jr. gives a simple yet deeply emotional performance as Jackie’s haunted son. Meanwhile, Jackie’s mother, Angel, has a volatile relationship with her daughter; the full truth of it leads to Lenox’s best scene in the film. Adan Canto takes a role which might have been steeped in stereotype, and instead gives a compelling performance as a man who thinks he is supportive to justify his abusive, destructive behaviour. Take, for example, a quiet moment where he returns home after storming out in a rage, and sheepishly tries to give a bouquet of flowers to a stone-faced Jackie.
However, the best overall performance belongs to Sheila Atim as Jackie’s trainer, Buddhakan. She is also - arguably - the most compelling character in Bruised’. Buddhakan exudes a very confident and driven aura while also giving us moments of profound sensitivity and empathy for both Jackie and her son. We only get a brief explanation of her backstory, but I would happily watch a spinoff film which focused on her.
Unfortunately, Bruised isn’t without flaws. As good as some of the supporting characters are, the screenplay allows others to fall by the wayside. Anderson’s Immaculate is especially inconsistent, switching from a pillar of support to an antagonistic bully at the drop of a hat. The film’s story sometimes descends into heavy-handed melodrama, such as when an epiphany by Jackie is accompanied by an awkwardly on-the-nose song. There is a break-up scene late in the film which not only feels utterly contrived, but also insultingly undercuts the character development which preceded it. You will also have to deal with many clichés of the sports drama genre when watching this film (anyone familiar with the ‘Rocky’ franchise will probably have an urge to either groan or laugh when they hear the name of the champion’s home city). Most of the film’s biggest problems, however, rest with the third act, where the story runs out of steam after the big fight and tries to tie up the loose ends as quickly and optimistically as possible. Ironically, the resulting saccharinity ended up leaving a very bitter taste in my mouth.
Although the film’s screenplay was written by newcomer Michelle Rosenfarb, it would not have come as a surprise if Berry herself had also written the film, because one can’t help but see a lot of her own career’s ups and downs reflected in this film. Bruised ultimately becomes a mixed bag of good intentions with several moments which work brilliantly, only to be undermined by other moments which fall flat.