Is Vinny Pazienza a courageous warrior with the heart of a champion, or is he a reckless daredevil with dangerously misplaced priorities?
That contradiction lies at the center of Bleed for This, a mediocre biopic that tends to pull its punches while chronicling the resilient prizefighter and his unlikely comeback from a severe spinal injury.
The film begins in the middle of his career, with Vinny Paz (Miles Teller) fighting for a world title in Las Vegas. He’s one of the sport’s brash stars, undeterred by his overbearing father (Ciaran Hinds), his suspect training methods, or vices that include strippers and high-stakes blackjack.
After a loss, however, legendary manager Lou Duva (Ted Levine) suggests Vinny should retire. He retreats to his working-class home in Rhode Island and works his way back to the top with the help of a washed-up trainer (Aaron Eckhart), emerging victorious in a higher weight class.
Then comes a bigger setback in the form of a car accident that leaves Vinny with a broken neck. Despite warnings that he may never walk again and advice that he should move on with his life, he’s determined to do otherwise.
A bulked-up Teller provides a dedicated portrayal that goes beyond mimicry of Vinny’s mannerisms or New England accent, capturing his subject’s flamboyant swagger both inside and outside the ring.
The film doesn’t stand up well next to recent boxing sagas such as Southpaw or Creed, which have raised the bar in the subgenre especially when it comes to innovative fight choreography and obligatory training montages.
While the film shares what others think of Vinny’s determined effort to defy the odds, it never gets a sufficient answer out of its subject, instead opting for generic theories about his inability to live without boxing because it’s all he’s known. Perhaps he’s taken too many blows to the head.
At any rate, boxing fans will notice that the screenplay by director Ben Younger (Prime) embellishes some of the details and condenses some timelines regarding Vinny’s career. Some context about his past or his affinity for fighting in the first place might have helped, or perhaps a hint as to his influence and legacy during a popular era for the sport.
In a crowded marketplace, that lack of depth renders Bleed for This as little more than a cinematic punching bag.
