“The true story film of Vinny Paz had heart.”
Hello fellow fans, to another Cinema Perception online film review. In this review, I will be discussing a 2016 drama boxing film that came out on Netflix this week called “Bleed For This.”
Starring Miles Teller, “Bleed For This” follows the true story of a legendary boxer named Vinny “Paz” Pazienza and his personal struggles in life and in the ring. Upon appearance, this film seemed to have a similar connection to “Rocky” — for those that do not like drama films, this may not be the film to watch.
After viewing “Bleed For This,” I noticed that the film had many positives. For one, the film definitely did well in crafting a good plot that made the viewer appreciate the moral of the story. The main acting of Miles Teller was a positive aspect of the film. Though I personally have not seen any of his previous films, Teller’s portrayal of Paz was believable in providing the character’s drive, the effort to fight on and the horror of witnessing failure. Besides Teller’s acting, the film did well in its film direction by going in depth with regards to Paz and the people he associated with. The film also kept the viewer entertained, such as through Vinny’s struggles, giving the film even more depth. In addition, the film succeeded in assembling humor to die down the drama that was deeply rooted in the film. Lastly, “Bleed for This” is realistic, which made the actual viewer cringe with anticipation. Essentially, the drama film was well done in establishing Paz’s true story as a boxer.
There were a few negatives to the film. The film delved into dialogue and not a lot of action. As a fan of action, I felt that the film missed out in providing more on Paz’s fights. Another issue was the pacing. During the first half, the film felt slow in setting up the main plot, whereas the second half brought back focus on where it was going. Lastly, the film should have a better title. Instead of “Bleed for This,” why not “The Pazmanian Devil: The True Story of Vinny Paz,” or something more catchy. By sticking to the main title, it left the average viewer to ponder about the film’s genre. Regardless, “Bleed For This” did not lose sight of its plot.
Overall, “Bleed For This” is a decent boxing drama film despite having minor flaws. In my opinion, it was a decent drama film, but as an action film, it probably needed more. Based on the review, I give this film 4.5 out of 5 stars for dramatic effect and a well-rounded plot. If this film is not on par with demand, try other drama boxing films like “Rocky” or “Ali.” ‘Till next online issue, this is Nicholas Bartelmo signing off from Cinema Perception.
Nicholas Bartelmo is a fourth-year student majoring in history. NB790429@wcupa.edu