Written by James M. Tate / 12/05/2011 / No comments / biopic , boxing , ernest borgnine , robert duvall , seventies , sport
MOHAMMAD ALI IN THE GREATEST
year: 1977 rating: ** |
Another somewhat dependable actor plays a teenage Ali, but then we switch to the real thing much too soon. When this was shot, Ali was a man who seemed mellow and tired i.e. nearing the end of his game. An iconic athelete playing a hungry climber is not only misplaced, but at times downright embarrassing. While he does have a graceful, laidback charm, and it's fun seeing him interact with real actors like Ernest Borgnine and Robert Duvall, the film, in cutting from excerpts of actual fights back to the movie-at-hand, feels spotty and contrived. This is Ali's personal propaganda for his life and name-changing Muslim faith and the hardships against the white man, all played out like something you'd see on television. And the last fifteen minutes, as Ali jogs to a Bill Conti-like score before the final bout, it's obvious that without Sly Stallone's blockbuster ROCKY the year before, THE GREATEST would never have been made: at least not in this fashion.
Labels:
biopic,
boxing,
ernest borgnine,
robert duvall,
seventies,
sport
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