DMovies - Your platform for thought-provoking cinema
Director - Welby Ings - 2022

"Greasy movie"
New Zealand drama blends boxing with gay romance, in a story that hits viewers right in the face - from the First Feature Competition of the 26th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival

QUICK SNAP: LIVE FROM TALLINN

There’s something about boxing that has always been a source of fascination for cinema. Even before Rocky Balboa ran up those steps, the idea of a fighting opponents in and out of the ring has been the framework for many a famous movie moment. With this in mind, it’s a credit to New Zealand director Welby Ings that his new film Punch should have so much that feels fresh.

Jordan Oosterhof plays Jim, a popular lad in a small town with a promising career in boxing. He’s coached by his father, Stan (Tim Roth), whose demons prevent him from ever truly becoming the father he wishes to be. One day, Jim meets Whetu (Conan Hayes), a young gay man who embraces his status among the town as an outsider, living in a self-built cabin. The pair fall in love, but the connection proves perilous for Jim, as the attraction of a new romance comes at the risk of his career and family.

Ings captures the sense of place beautifully, making the fictional town a character in its own right that provides the drama with stunning backdrops. The insular nature of small communities is also well-portrayed, with anything that threatens to deviate from the norm treated with derision. While the visuals are impressive, the plot is somewhat familiar. Many LGBTQ+ dramas feature clandestine affairs and the tension that builds from keeping their secret safe. In this sense, Punch doesn’t add too much, particularly with dialogue that can often telegraph the characters’ feelings.

Luckily, the stars bring something to the material. With bright eyes and a sincere demeanour, Oosterhof easily draws empathy as a man reaching that moment where happiness and safety diverge. He has a wonderful chemistry with Hayes, who avoids the standard tropes of out gay characters on film and presents Whetu as an individual rather than an archetype. Adding star power to proceedings, Roth’s stooped, grizzled manner is enough to establish Stan without saying a word, with the duality of his feelings for Jim portrayed perfectly. It’s a supporting role, but he establishes the tone of a film where the hardest hits are from poignant glances.

There’s no escaping the familiar route Punch takes with its story of forbidden love in a small town. However, Ings’s localisation of this universal issue gives the film character, combined with a well-chosen cast that provide a hefty blow, if not exactly a knockout.

Punch just premiered in the First Feature Competition of the 26th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival.



"Greasy movie"

By Victoria Luxford - 25-11-2022

By Victoria Luxford - 25-11-2022

London-born Victoria Luxford has been a film critic and broadcaster since 2007, writing about cinema all over the world. Beginning with regional magazines and entertainment websites, she soon built up...

DMovies Poll

Are the Oscars dirty enough for DMovies?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...

Most Read

Forget Friday the 13th, Paranormal Activity and the [Read More...]
Just a few years back, finding a film [Read More...]
A lot of British people would rather forget [Read More...]
Another year has gone by, and DMovies is [Read More...]
A small family of four lives in a [Read More...]
Pigs might fly. And so Brexit might happen. [Read More...]

Read More

Reclaiming Vincente Minnelli’s overlooked gem

 

Isy Santini - 25-03-2023

Not quite what it seems: Isy Santini takes a dirty look at Vincente Minnelli's Brigadoon and argues that the film - which most thought to be a musical - was in reality a horror piece! [Read More...]

In the Middle

Greg Cruttwell
2023

John McDonald - 25-03-2023

Quirky football referee documentary might just give you a new outlook the next time you step out onto the pitch - in cinemas Friday, March 31st [Read More...]

Eismayer

David Wagner
2023

John McDonald - 25-03-2023

Award-winning Austrian drama investigates the pain of being deeply closeted, while also highlighting the joy of being openly gay in the military - powerful, uplifting, and incredibly heart-warming film shows at WatchAUT: Austrian Film Festival [Read More...]

Facebook Comment

Website Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *