When they say "They don't make 'em like they used to", people are generally referring to those grand, plush films that featured beautiful stars in amazingly appointed settings and saying or doing wonderfully dramatic things as a gorgeous score pounds away in the background. However, they also don't make them like this anymore. Brave is the film maker of today who would present a character like this one and film his adventures in such a subtle, amusing, understated way. Voight plays an unsettled, restless young boxer who has trouble making life work. Taken under the wing of gymnasium owner Glass, he continues to hone his craft until he's primed to join the US Olympic team! However, he's tossed aside or misused so many people by then that even he isn't sure he's right for the task. The film is presented in six sections, clearly defined by title cards indicating which "round" Voight is in. He begins with an uncomfortable encounter amongst his daffy family in the small town of Buddy, Texas, eventually fleeing into the arms of his old squeeze Peaker. Then he hooks up with crusty Glass, who sets him on track to become a great fighter. He tries to keep a foothold in the dual worlds of family and small-town life while pursuing his boxing goals. Along the way he passes the time with amorous gas station customer Cash and just-fully-ripened hometown girl Archer. He even begins to win over his disbelieving family members. However, he may be lacking the character and strength of will to follow through on his goals. Voight is at or near the peak of his attractiveness here. Sun-bleached and tanned, his body is fit (and he shows it off in a bizarrely framed scene in which he and Peaker (both nude) carry on a discussion while he is on his back, pubic hair in full view. It would be twenty years before another major film offered up such a casual depiction of that area, when Julianne Moore ironed her dress while bottomless in "Short Cuts".) He gives an intense, thoughtful portrayal, often ably displaying the sort of selfish, dull characteristics his part calls for. Fans who only know Peaker from "Hello Dolly" and television comedies are in for an eye-opener here. She gives a solid performance, her adoration of Voight evident at all times, even as she spurns him. It's a odd role and she imbues it with a subtle layer of comedy. Again, her nudity is presented without fanfare. Glass, best known as Doc in "West Side Story" gets one of the best roles of his long career as the crotchety, incredibly foul-mouthed coach whose interest in Voight may go beyond his career. Archer, in one of her earliest roles, brings a freshness and quirkiness to her part. The whole film is a showcase for lesser known, but vaguely familiar, actors and actresses who meander in and out of Voight's life, often with very understated, but still humorous results. It's mostly a character study, with little emphasis on the actual plot of the story. It delights in examining the eccentricities of people (check out the guy sitting next to Voight's mom Cooper at the big fight!) A large amount of background incidental music helps add flavor to the film. It also serves as a delightful time capsule of the times. Peaker works in a drug store that has a counter with stools and offers bottles of pain reliever for $0.73 after tax. It's sure to be deemed too slow and too boring for many folks, but to observant and patient viewers with an interest in the idiosyncrasies of others, it has a lot to offer.
