Rachel Morrison’s “The Fire Inside” arrives at the same time as the smaller but equally brilliant boxing sleeper film, “Fight Day.”
Morrison’s film takes the opposite approach to that film in terms of presenting its big matches – while “Day of the Fight” is a long build-up to a great boxing match, “The Fire Inside” brings all the training and fighting scenes to the fore. Which is fierce and well organised, but then goes in a surprising direction by filming the results of a big match.
In this true story, Ryan Destiny stars as Clarissa “T-Rex” Shields, a boxer from Flint, Michigan who shows promise as a little girl, works her way up the ranks and gives everything she has to train for the Olympics. Clarissa’s coach, Jason (played by Brian Tyree Henry), knows what a strong athlete he is and that her achievement in the ring belies the hardships she faces in her life, which only lead to a dead end.
“The Fire Within” is a powerful, quiet, personal and courageous film. It reminded me not of “Rocky” (1976) or even “Girlfight” (2000) but of “Million Dollar Baby” (2004) directed by Clint Eastwood.
Moonlight director Barry Jenkins wrote the script and produced, delivering a story that could have felt like inevitable drama or just an ESPN-ready biopic. Instead, there is a harsh appeal to this that extends to Flint’s surroundings.
I was first introduced to the city when it was featured in Michael Moore’s historical documentary Roger and Me (1989). The Flint area shown here is rife with poverty and few options for the citizens who live there. Rather than allowing “The Fire Within” to become harsh, political, and/or allow for social commentary, Jenkin and Morrison keep the focus on the protagonist.
The scene that really struck me was when Clarissa shares an intimate moment with her boyfriend, and then tells him something no other soul has ever told him before. It’s a heartbreaking admission and one of the many ways the film gets it right — “The Fire Inside” is about character and resists sports movie clichés.
Morrison’s film is unsentimental and does everything it can to counter expectations by telling the story in a straightforward, gloss-free manner.
Tyree Henry first came to my attention with his unsettling and terrifying villain role in Steve McQueen’s brilliant film “Widows,” and he has stolen the show in many subsequent films and television roles. While Destiny’s star-making turn is newsworthy (she connects with the character’s complex inner pain), Tyree Henry anchors the film and delivers one of the best performances of the year.
Despite how strong the first two acts are, Morrison’s film cannot sustain the energy of the first half and loses momentum in the third act. However, there is dramatic force in the final confrontation between Clarissa and Jason, which could have been played in a very Hollywood way.
Instead, it’s as direct, difficult and simple as the rest of the film.
A tough question that “The Fire Inside” addresses: What is it like to compete in the world’s largest international multi-sport event, win a gold medal, and then return to your hometown penniless and without career momentum?
How Ryan Destiny Manages to Keep the ‘Fire Within’
– IndieWire (@IndieWire) December 23, 2024
There are many other films about amateur boxers going to extremes, most of which are true “Cinderella” stories and have unavoidable conclusions. It’s nice to watch a sports drama that makes you feel happy, as if you just left a game where your local team won.
Movies are like that. I also appreciate a movie like this, where the outcome of the big game and the character’s journey is less certain, as is the definition of victory.
Three stars