We made a mistake on first hearing about The Cut thinking that it was biopic of London’s worst ever mayor Sadiq Khan until we noticed the title was one letter missing. Instead the film is a cinema staple – the boxing – but this is not the usual title bout battle instead this is about the preparation and its far unlike anything you’ve seem in the genre. The boxer in question is played by Orlando Bloom as a character (who’s never named) who had almost wilfully lost a title bout and now earns a living as a trainer at his own gym in Ireland alongside his wife Cailtlin (Caitrona Balfe). She’s dedicated as is he except he is haunted by his demons most notably his single mother (Clare Dunn) doing her best to support him but having to resort to making a living as a sex worker. And there’s a linear connection between her and her son later earning a living abusing his body also and Bloom’s boxer is suffering lifelong trauma from one particular event involving his mother.
But there’s a chance of redemption, a chance for glory when he’s offered a comeback title fight in Vegas which he grabs but the only thing that stands in his way is his weight. He’s thirty pounds over and has little more than a week to lose it to qualify and when early efforts fall short its apparent that they’re never going to get him over the line. Enter Boz (John Turturro) a man who will deliver in the most brutal, unorthodox and borderline illegal way. Dump dieting, workouts are for wimps. What Boz puts him through is as gruelling to watch as it is for Bloom to endure. Nothing is off limits with Boz counting every ounce of sweat he forces out of him, blood is syphoned, drugs are downed frequently taking his boxer to life threatening limits. His techniques make grim viewing as there is no safety in the way to lose this weight with Turturro repeatedly reminding Bloom, ‘There is no ripcord!’
Lord of the Rings is well over twenty years behind Orlando Bloom and he very much needs career comeback roles and there’s a certain irony in playing the comeback kid boxer here and he is totally believable committed in his role even to the lengths of on screen fingers down the throat retching. His physical transformation is there for all to see as the film progresses. But ultimately its Turturro who steals the show, a reminder that he is an on screen tour de force in the right role and here he is a knockout.
related feature : Toby Kebbell chats to us about working with Shia Labeouf on boxing drama, ‘Salvable’…
related feature ; How Stephen Dorff injured himself filming as an MMA fighter in’Embattled’
Here’s the trailer for ‘The Cut’…..
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