The Bronx Bull (2016)

The Bronx Bull: Directed by Martin Guigui. With William Forsythe, Joe Mantegna, Tom Sizemore, Paul Sorvino. Based on the tumultuous real-life experiences of legendary boxing champion Jake LaMotta, THE BRONX BULL chronicles his rise as a world-class boxer and his struggles with life outside of the ring, offering an unflinchingly honest look into the heart of a champion.

“The Bronx Bull (2016) u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003e*** (out of 4) u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWhen this film was originally announced the producers decided to call it RAGING BULL II so that it would stir up a media storm, which it did. This also gave the film a lot of negative press from people screaming that Martin Scorseseu0026#39;s masterpiece didnu0026#39;t need a sequel. Well, THE BRONX BULL eventually got made and released and thereu0026#39;s no doubt that one could consider it a direct sequel. The film takes place as Jake LaMotta (William Forsythe) has retired from boxing and we see his many lows that would haunt him.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eTHE BRONX BULL very well could have been called RAGING BULL II. Is this a masterpiece like the Scorsese film? Not even close. If you go into this expecting the same type of picture then youu0026#39;re bound to be disappointed. I really wasnu0026#39;t sure what to expect from the film and at first I was a little nervous but I must admit that I ended up enjoying it a lot more than I thought I would. Yes, there are many flaws throughout the picture but at the same time weu0026#39;ve got a terrific cast of characters and the film also catches us up on what happened to LaMotta after the ring (a subject just briefly touched upon in RAGING BULL).u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWhat I was most impressed with were the performances. I thought Forsythe was extremely good in the role of LaMotta and you canu0026#39;t help but be impressed because you really do feel as if youu0026#39;re watching a man who has lost his soul. I really thought the actor did a very good job at showing how hot-headed this guy was and how he could just snap in an instant. Weu0026#39;ve got a lot of famous faces in nice supporting roles including Paul Sorvino who plays LaMottau0026#39;s father, Joe Mantegna as the best friend and we get the likes of Tom Sizemore, Natasha Henstridge, Penelope Ann Miller, James Russo, Bruce Davidson, Cloris Leachman, Robert Davi and Mike Starr.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAs I said, there are quite a few flaws including the story. The film jumps around through several decades and captures different moments in LaMottau0026#39;s life after the ring but on the whole itu0026#39;s a bit uneven. Iu0026#39;d argue that the direction wasnu0026#39;t the greatest either but it was at least good enough to make sure everything held your attention. The film was obviously shot on a low-budget, which is clearly seen when they try to re-create some of the older times. Still, with all of that said, if youu0026#39;re interested in the LaMotta character then this film should keep you entertained. Just donu0026#39;t go in expecting something that it isnu0026#39;t.”