Frederick Wiseman’s doco admires values and skills instilled in a neighbourhood gym. “Rather than a fixation on the violence of the sport, there’s a serene appreciation of muscle, sinew, and movement.” — Slant Magazine
A riveting and unexpectedly inspiring essay on the peace that comes from shared physical and mental concentration.
Screened as part of NZIFF 2011
Boxing Gym 2010
The great documentarian of institutions in action, Frederick Wiseman turns 80 with a connoisseur’s eye for the agility, the darting rhythms and precision of boxers in training. His latest film has something else in common with its immediate predecessor, La Danse: it’s a picture of an institution that enhances the lives it touches, a neighbourhood gym where an amazing range of races, ages and skill levels find self-assurance through partnership and discipline. — BG
“[A] brisk, lightweight, unexpectedly genial look at Lord’s Boxing Gym, a spot for wannabe pugilists in Austin, Texas. Whether stationed at the edge of the ring or between punching bags, the observational camera takes in all the contenders passing through – men and women, adults and children, beginners and professional… Rather than a fixation on the violence of the sport, there’s a serene appreciation of muscle, sinew, and movement… It’s hard to fault Wiseman’s optimistic contemplation of the almost familial atmosphere of democratic athleticism on the screen.” — Fernando Croce, Slant Magazine