Fighting with My Family.
May 1, 2019 7:46:56 GMT
mikediastavrone96, themoviesinner, and 1 more like this
Post by stephen on May 1, 2019 7:46:56 GMT
One of the sweetest, most stealthily poignant films of the last few years, Fighting with My Family is a light-hearted biopic about Saraya Bevis, a young English wrestler whose success on the indie circuit was parlayed into an opportunity to take part in the WWE. I admit that I'm not the biggest fan of wrestling, but director Stephen Merchant assembles a crack assortment of top actors that make Saraya's opportunity feel as important and life-changing, regardless of whether you're a wrestling aficionado or a complete novice to the concept of heels and faces.
Florence Pugh continues her meteoric rise as she portrays Saraya from her early beginnings up until she takes on the mantle of "Paige," a moniker she hopes to carry to success in the WWE. Paige is part of a wrestling dynasty in Norwich, with her parents (Nick Frost and Lena Headey, both delightful) and her brothers (James Burrows and a fantastic Jack Lowden) being her inspiration in and out of the ring. In particular, Paige is tight with Lowden's Zak, who has been her trainer ever since she was a child and who has dreamed of WWE glory even more than his sister. When both are offered the chance to audition for a place in the organization, their delight and excitement is more than palpable, and the crushing disappointment when Zak is dismissed as Paige advances feels as raw as if it had happened to us. Lowden portrays that agony and envy so perfectly, which he desperately tries to suppress but is ultimately unable to truly bury.
Much of the film deals with Paige's grueling training to get ready for the WWE. Vince Vaughn is a sublime scene-stealer as the coach/drill instructor who pushes Paige to her limits, while real-life WWE icon (and occasional actor) Dwayne Johnson serves some of the film's funniest moments in an extended cameo as himself. Ultimately, though, the film relies on Pugh and Lowden's dynamic as siblings caught up in a fractious situation and having to cope with it, and they are marvelous to behold. Fighting with My Family is certainly one of 2019's diamonds in the rough already.
Florence Pugh continues her meteoric rise as she portrays Saraya from her early beginnings up until she takes on the mantle of "Paige," a moniker she hopes to carry to success in the WWE. Paige is part of a wrestling dynasty in Norwich, with her parents (Nick Frost and Lena Headey, both delightful) and her brothers (James Burrows and a fantastic Jack Lowden) being her inspiration in and out of the ring. In particular, Paige is tight with Lowden's Zak, who has been her trainer ever since she was a child and who has dreamed of WWE glory even more than his sister. When both are offered the chance to audition for a place in the organization, their delight and excitement is more than palpable, and the crushing disappointment when Zak is dismissed as Paige advances feels as raw as if it had happened to us. Lowden portrays that agony and envy so perfectly, which he desperately tries to suppress but is ultimately unable to truly bury.
Much of the film deals with Paige's grueling training to get ready for the WWE. Vince Vaughn is a sublime scene-stealer as the coach/drill instructor who pushes Paige to her limits, while real-life WWE icon (and occasional actor) Dwayne Johnson serves some of the film's funniest moments in an extended cameo as himself. Ultimately, though, the film relies on Pugh and Lowden's dynamic as siblings caught up in a fractious situation and having to cope with it, and they are marvelous to behold. Fighting with My Family is certainly one of 2019's diamonds in the rough already.
