Ryan Destiny sure packs a punch as Claressa Shield.
I have two movies distributed by MGM and Amazon this season about two kinds of fighters. There’s “The Fire Inside,” which is about the female boxer Claressa “T-Rex” Shields, and “Unstoppable,” which is about the wrestler Anthony Robles, who was born with one leg. This review will focus on “The Fire Inside.”
It’s based on the true story of Claressa Shields, as she trains for the 2012 Summer Olympics and became the first woman to win a gold medal in boxing. Written by Barry Jenkins and directed by Rachel Morrison (a “Black Panther” and “Mudbound” cinematographer in her directorial debut), the movie is powerful in its acting and its courage in representing women’s rights in the boxing world.
“Grown-ish” star Ryan Destiny (who is literally the same age as the boxer) plays Shields, who has been training since childhood, and now that she’s in her teens, she has a lot of baggage. Her mother (Olunike Adeliyi) is an alcoholic, her father (Adam Clark) has been released from prison, she was sexually assaulted as a child, and she needs to overcome the challenges that the boxing world has to offer.
For example, she thinks that boxing can allow her to act like a bully whose answer is: “I like to beat people up.”
Another regards how it was viewed that only men were better capable of being fighters than women, which is why they would get less pay than them. This is an example of how even sexism can threaten the world of sports. Both genders deserve equal rights and equal pay, and it’s nice to know there are female athletes who must make statements.
But the biggest issue regards how her volunteer trainer Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry) has struggle to make ends meet just to help her reach to the top. And ever since she won that gold medal, the movie shows her acting ungrateful towards him, especially since she has to struggle to take care of her family.
Some scenes don’t have much pay-off, but many others do. And most of them come between Claressa and Jason, based on how they train, and how she turns her back on him. And both Destiny and Henry are exceptional with the right convictions and emotions. So much so, that it’s literally impossible to not read between their lines. What isn’t a sports movie without conflicts?
I can tell “The Fire Inside” is a Jenkins-written movie, because of how he expresses African-American characters-fictional or non-fictional-and their drama that reflects on life. He also break free from formulas from his previous films (“Moonlight” and “If Beale Street Could Talk”) to tell a boxing story through the eyes of Claressa Shields. And it couldn’t be more outspoken or fearless than how the posters and trailers would obviously suggest.
Morrison makes her directing debut with enough humanity and courage to win you over. And like “Unstoppable,” it’s made by a film editor or cinematographer, and as I’ve mentioned, she is a cinematographer. I know these are completely different sports movies made by people of different positions, but I believe the adage still applies. They’re both step ups focusing on fighters with voices, energy, and courage.
“The Fire Inside” allows us to see both kinds of fighting, whether they’re boxing or arguing, and they’re both handled with emotions and sincerity. This girl may like to hit people, but the movie doesn’t have to be mean-spirited about it. It can allow her to represent her own pathos and what contributes to it. It regards the past and present, and they merge quite well within her. And we see her coach as a struggling family man and devoted trainer, but he doesn’t have to act so negative or self-congratulatory about it. And the performances make them quote clear.
Time to get in the ring.
In Theaters Christmas Day