Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Facing Ali (2009)

A lot better than I had hoped it would be. I didn't think that the fighters they interviewed would be as candid as they were, especially since most of them lost to Muhammad Ali.

The movie chronicles many of the keys fights in Ali's career, and is aided by the interviews of the boxers who played the foil to Ali at the time. Starting out with his Cassius Clay days, Sir Henry Cooper talks about how Clay was perceived as a loud-mouth, no-good, trash-talker who would never be able to win a fight. When they fought in England, the British people wanted Cooper to humiliate Clay...that didn't happen. Fast forward to his fights as Ali with former sparring partner Larry Holmes, the doc gets all the details from the people who know it best.

While it definitely lacked some of the finer touches of Tyson, this still was a really good movie. Boxing fans will love it, as will the casual observer. From Joe Frazier to George Forman, George Chuvalo to Leon Spinks, every former boxer has a story to tell and they are all fun to hear.

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