Heading from the festival circuit into theaters beginning this weekend, is a documentary film that is more of a peek inside the tortured mind of former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson than a pure critical examination of his career…and it scores.
What director James Toback (“Harvard Man”, “Black and White”) has done is put the youngest heavyweight champ in history in the ring by himself, as the lone figure on camera, and through tight shots and a stream-of-consciousness style produces a compelling no-holds-barred extended self-interrogation at the highs (in more ways than one) and lows (in and out of the ring) of Tyson’s storied existence.
Presented chronologically, deftly weaving in archival footage, the film offers a cinematic sort of head-shrink session providing Tyson’s thoughts on most of the key events in his life.
Without fanfare or flack, we learn what shaped his life and his thoughts about the early upbringing in Brooklyn mocked as a fat kid living in a turbulent environment with a promiscuous mother, teen years spent in juvenile detention centers, his path to reform and the shaping of his boxing success through a disciplined lifestyle at mentor Cus D’Amato’s upstate New York compound, the amazing ascent to becoming heavyweight champion of the world at age 20, and the steep drop to the canvas including his tumultuous eight-month marriage to Robin Givens, a rape conviction, as well as controversial bouts with Evander Holyfield, the shattering of his gladiatorial invincibility in a loss to Buster Douglas, a money-driven comeback, retirement and battles with drugs and alcohol.
Mike Tyson’s combination of speed, strength and accuracy combined with a hyper-aggressive style punctuated by presenting an aura of indestructibility truly distinguishes his fight game. Like his boxing style, never one to “cover up”, Tyson delivers some savage blows to his own behavior and character that will make viewers wince.
Toback provides an intriguing cinematic version of a good ’ol bare-knuckle brawl, in this case an unblinking opponent staring at himself in the camera.
Maybe it was those demons that drove him to be champ
Dude was a monster.
Tyson’s fighting style reminds me of that cartoon character- the tasmanian devil
heard good things about it, cant wait to see the film
Tyson learned about intimidation before stepping into the ring early and it worked wonders for him for a long time
Thanks for the review, Randy – I was wondering if you’d give us an insight into this film. I don’t live in the US but I’m hoping this movie gets a run over here in England. Tyson was a world figure in sport and he remains the last boxer that truly tapped into the common culture mainstream. As much as you loathe so much of what he did you have to admit his run to the heavyweight title remains one of the most electrifying eras of sport we’ve seen in the past 30 years.
Keep rocking, Randy – love the website!
Gerry,
London, England