Day of the Fight – Review

Day of the Fight is well orchestrated life and boxing drama featuring a slice of life of Mike Flannigan (Pitt) who is readying himself for a match at Madison Square Garden in the evening, his first fight in years. ‘Irish’ Mike doesn’t have much money. He has no wife in his life anymore, and doesn’t see his kid. He even has a brain aneurysm as a result of a horrific auto accident he caused that left him in a coma and with a jail sentence. This brain injury is horrible for anyone, but is especially not a good thing for a fighter. Thing is, he doesn’t tell anyone about this either…

Mike has nothing much to fight for in life, as the accident ruined his successful middleweight championship past when he was a younger boxer. He is suffering mentally, torturing himself over what he did and the pain he caused. So why is he fighting? Why risk his life over this? Maybe Mike is trying to figure all of this out himself. Come along with Mike as he visits his remaining few friends and family on the day of his fight, which could be his last.

Despite the dark drama presented in Mike’s story, it is very human and pulls the viewer into it. Mike is not a bad person, even if he made a mistake. He feels sympathetic, and like any working-class guy, out to get by in life and make the best for him and his own. While we mostly only get to know this older version of Mike who has experienced some traumas, he has some good things to say and has learned some lessons, despite a past that is full of troubles and a history of drinking.

The acting is very well done by all parties, especially Pitt who brings a lot of genuine emotion to Mike Flannigan, which was needed for authenticity. He crushes the role. The black and white filming gives a bit of intimacy to the shots, and allows focus on the actors and the dialogue and reactions presented within.

The score is fantastic and helps drive the film’s emotional resonance. Cinematography is strong, with shots drawing your eye into the actor’s motions while giving well-framed backgrounds. In general, this is a very well-done feature, and typically I don’t care much for boxing or serious dramas, but this film was undeniably quite good. Dialogue was strong, and the script had a lot to say even if the story itself was fairly simple. Day of the Fight is a mature time, and showcases the actors within, despite it not being the most original thing of all time.