Jawbone *** (2017, Johnny Harris, Ray Winstone, Ian McShane, Michael Smiley) – Movie Review

Johnny Harris stars as former junior ABA boxing champion Jimmy McCabe who hits rock bottom, in director Thomas Napper’s likeable 2017 Brit boxing drama that isn’t afraid to revisit some ancient clichés and still win on points – just!

Running out of options, McCabe returns to his childhood boxing club and his old team, re-encounters the old gym owner Bill Carney (Ray Winstone) – that’s good! -and corner-man Eddie (Michael Smiley) – that’s good too! – and smooth but dodgy old promoter Joe Padgett (Ian McShane) – that’s bad!

Winstone, McShane, and Smiley go through their very familiar acts, but that’s a good thing, right? Winstone is particularly impactful. McShane is only really only making a guest appearance and has only a couple of scenes, but he makes the most of the main one. Harris is good at the centre of it, sympathetic and convincing.

It is Thomas’s narrative feature directorial debut, after working as second unit director with Joe Wright for the last 12 years. Harris makes his debut as writer too. They both do a very decent job. It could be more hard-hitting and visceral, but it isn’t really that kind of film.

It sticks firmly to its self-imposed task of building a character portrait of its flawed hero and painting a portrait of the rather desperate low-level boxing life, and that turns out to be better than hard-hitting and visceral. It has an old-style feel to it. With its war, rather soft heart, it could even be one of Ealing Studios Fifties realist dramas. But it stays strong and relevant to the idea of survival in today’s don’t care, neo-brutalist culture.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Movie Review

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com