Sports dramas - films are always spectacular and vibrant, but with one big drawback - the plot of such paintings is almost always predictable. It is very difficult to create something new and surprise the viewer in such films. Therefore, from the premiere of the film “Lefty”, the actors and whose roles today will be the topic of the article, did not expect a breakthrough. The expected sports drama was perhaps for boxing fans.
Film background
The picture was conceived as a continuation of the autobiographical film "8 Mile", in which Eminem played the main role. In 2011, it became known that Antoine Fucua was chosen as the director of the tape . A year later, the rapper was forced to refuse to participate in the film due to employment. The very idea of the picture seemed promising to the producers, so it was decided to continue working on it with another actor in the title role. They considered the participation of Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Renner and other performers, but in the end the role was offered to Jake Gyllenhaal.
Shooting a picture
Most of the filming took place in Pennsylvania, Indiana and Pittsburgh. To recreate the streets of the Bronx, artists painted facades of buildings and shops on cardboard.
The film "Left-Handed": actors and roles of sports drama
We will talk about the main character of the picture a bit later, since he deserves special attention. Let's just say that Bill Hope played Jake Gyllenhaal.
We can say that the film was haunted from the very beginning. For many years, the idea of the picture only hatched, then Eminem refused to participate in the project, under which, in fact, the script was written. Then followed a long process of finding actors for the main roles. Periodically there was a change of performers. If everything was determined with the main character, and Gyllenhaal began hard and debilitating preparation, then for the roles of the remaining characters we finally managed to choose the performers only at the beginning of the shoot. Actors of “Lefty” were selected for a long time and carefully, but the result was a strong cast.
Billy Hope's wife was played by Rachel McAdams. She was remembered by the audience for the role of Irene Adler in the movie "Sherlock Holmes" by Guy Ricci. Her preparation was that the director asked the actress to attend Gyllenhaal's boxing training so that she could better feel the atmosphere of sports and convincingly play the wife of a famous athlete.
Hope's daughter was played by 13-year-old actress Una Lawrence. Behind her shoulders is not one movie job: the girl starred in several films and series, and for her role in the Broadway musical "Matilda" was nominated for a Grammy.
Actors of “Left-Handed” are not only professional performers, but also musicians. In the role of a close friend of the Hope family and his manager in the film, you can see the rapper 50 Cent. He has been fond of boxing since childhood, so it was not difficult for him to get used to the image.
Forest Whitaker played a former boxer who works as a trainer in a small gym. Hope turns to him for help after the tragedy that happened in his life.
Eminem, who never played in the film, wrote two songs for her, which immediately became hits.
Sports drama "Lefty": the main actor of the film
The image of the world boxing champion, Billy Hope, was embodied on the screen by the multifaceted actor Jake Gyllenhaal, whose talent is revealed brighter with each new role. The viewer saw him in the role of a marine, patrol, detective, bisexual cowboy, reporter, manic to his goal, and a climber. The role of boxer Hope and the amazing transformation of the body, Gyllenhaal again showed how talented he is as a performer.
Actors of "Left-Handed", admittedly, were relegated to the background by Jake's play. Only a young Una Lawrence made up a decent pair for him.
I must say that this year turned out to be successful for the actor in interesting roles. Viewers could see him immediately in three paintings: "Stringer", "Left-handed" and "Everest".
Role preparation
For actors, the transformation of the body has long been familiar. Someone for the role has to gain significant weight, while someone is hard to lose it. Jake Gyllenhaal already went through this when, for the shootings in the movie "Prince of Persia," he had to build muscle, learn gymnastic techniques and elements of parkour.
The main actor of the movie “Lefty” was to embody on the screen the image of not just a boxer, but a world champion. For Gyllenhaal, the difficulty was that for his previous role in the film "Stringer" he lost a lot of weight. So much so that it looked just exhausted. Now, in a short time, he needed not only to regain weight, but also to gain additional pure muscle mass. It was necessary for the viewer to believe that in front of them is really a great fighter Jimmy Hope (“Left-Handed”). The main actor, on whom the whole film rested, had to not only look like a boxer, but also possess the skills of fighting in the ring. Jake approached the preparation, as always, very seriously. She took 6 months. During this time, he worked on himself in two directions: he studied the technique of fighting in the ring and increased muscle mass. He was engaged in squats, pull-ups, bench press and running twice a day.
We can see the result of training on the screen - the main actor of the movie “Lefty” looks like a professional boxer, he is in excellent physical shape. Gyllenhaal was able to gain 15 kilograms of muscle mass. Such body transformations are dangerous to health, but the actor says that he is always careful and keeps everything under control. Most of all, Jake was afraid to look stupid in the ring, so he gave all the best in preparation for the role to look convincing. He fully succeeded - the actor’s fans experienced a real shock when they saw in the first trailer of the picture instead of the usual tightened Gyllenhaal 90-pound boxer with a pumped-up torso.
Plot of the film
Billy Hope achieves in life everything that a person can dream of: he becomes the world boxing champion, lives in a luxurious house. But the main thing is that he is supported by the family, wife Maureen and daughter Leila.
One day, Billy’s happy world collapses - his wife accidentally dies due to his quarrel with another boxer. Hope is unable to bear the bereavement, he loses control of himself. Because of his behavior, a friend turns his back on him (he is also a manager), and the guardianship service takes away his daughter. The main character is left alone, and only fear for the future of little Leila keeps him from suicide. To return the daughter, Hope needs to prove that he can be entrusted with raising a child. And for this, Billy has only one way out - to return to the world of professional boxing and win the championship again. The problem is that he lost his old connections, and no one wants to mess with the infamous boxer. Billy finds support and help from the coach of a small gym, once performing in the ring.
Movie rating and reviews
The sports drama Lefty, the actors and roles of which are pretty convincing on the screen, received mixed reviews and reviews. The film was highly appreciated by the male part of the audience, as well as those viewers who are close to the world of boxing and sports. Critics noted the excellent work of Gyllenhaal, who was able to feel the image of his hero and convincingly play it. Criticism of the film concerned primarily a script full of cliches. The director was also reproached for the fact that the picture is aimed at a male audience.
Conclusion
Lefty actors have a chance to take part in the Oscars. Despite the fact that the film does not go beyond the framework of a classic family-sports drama, the stunning game of Gyllenhaal, which simply dissolves in the image of his hero, can impress film academics.