Boxing Gym

The great documentarian of institutions in action, Frederick Wiseman turns 80 with a connoisseur’s eye for the agility, the darting rhythms and precision of boxers in training. His latest film has something else in common with its immediate predecessor, La Danse: it’s a picture of an institution that enhances the lives it touches, a neighbourhood gym where an amazing range of races, ages and skill levels find self-assurance through partnership and discipline. — BG

“[A] brisk, lightweight, unexpectedly genial look at Lord’s Boxing Gym, a spot for wannabe pugilists in Austin, Texas. Whether stationed at the edge of the ring or between punching bags, the observational camera takes in all the contenders passing through – men and women, adults and children, beginners and professional… Rather than a fixation on the violence of the sport, there’s a serene appreciation of muscle, sinew, and movement… It’s hard to fault Wiseman’s optimistic contemplation of the almost familial atmosphere of democratic athleticism on the screen.” — Fernando Croce, slantmagazine.com

View the trailer on Flicks.co.nz