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***
Dir: Paddy Considine (15, 92 mins)
Paddy Considine returns to the director’s chair in this boxing drama which, although well-acted, seems rather shallow in comparison to the towering Tyrannosaur, his last outing at the helm. Considine also plays the lead here, ageing boxer Matty Burton, defending his title one last time, but this time with brain-damaging results. The film follows the effect this injury has on him, his family, and his old boxing friends. The later part of the film with his wife, played by Jodie Whittaker, struggling to cope with his loss of memory, physical movement and mood swings is heart-breaking, but when she leaves due to his erratic behaviour and his missing boxing buddies turn up elements take a familiar and less compelling turn. Considine is very good but the story feels slight and often indulgent, the drama slightly unconvincing as he struggles to recover, not blaming the pugilism that put him in his condition. Solidly performed but the punches don’t fully land.
Opens February 16