Bleed for This (2016) User Reviews (79)

Miles Teller is fantastic in this inspirational comeback of all comebacks

[bartonj2410 · 8/10 · 13 October 2016]

When it comes to film, there is no other sport that has delivered such powerful and emotional dramas on the big screen as boxing. It's the personal drama they delve into that makes them so relatable to audiences. That's not to say we've all climbed the Rocky Steps or assaulted family members as a result of paranoia though.

Many have been based on true stories and that is certainly the case with Bleed For This, a film based on the astonishingly courageous real life experiences of Vinny Pazienza.

Played by Miles Teller, Pazienza was a World Champion Boxer who was left not knowing whether he'd be able to walk again after a near fatal car accident caused severe spinal damage. Rather than let it defeat him, Pazienza aimed to get back in the ring, setting in motion one of the greatest comebacks in sporting history.

The biggest draw of Bleed For This are its performances, particularly the knock-out lead one given by Miles Teller, one of the hottest young actors in Hollywood today. Teller never loses the cockiness of Pazienza, even when he faces a life without boxing, turning him into such a remarkable character.

I really enjoyed the pairing of Teller and Aaron Eckhart as his trainer, Kevin Rooney. Eckhart hasn't really had much to shout about in recent years but I do think he's a good actor, showcasing it here with a good performance. Ciarán Hinds and Katey Sagal deliver fine performances as Vinny's mother and father, taking me a while to realise it was even them with the change in appearance.

The best boxing films are the ones that focus more on the goings on outside of the ring than inside it, and that's where Ben Younger gets it right with Bleed For This. Yes, a big part of the story is Vinny wanting to get back in the ring but Younger chooses to focus on the man himself and how driven an individual he was to get back to his best in the ring.

Younger also delivers some energetic boxing sequences, using quick edits and excellent sound mixing to almost feel like you're taking the punches at times. The brutality of the sport is wince- inducing at times so the film does warrant its rating however, the moment that had everyone wincing was when Vinny has the screws taken out of his head after six months of wearing the halo designed to help his neck recover. It's a moment that perfectly captures the severity of Vinny's accident as well as the aforementioned cockiness, Teller playing it for laughs.

If you're a fan of boxing films, Bleed For This is a film you will want to see. Don't dismiss it entirely if you aren't a big fan of boxing films because there is plenty to admire in this portrayal of one of the most inspirational comebacks in sporting history.

Well acted, but drawn out

[bankofmarquis · 6/10 · 27 November 2016]

I go to the movies nearly every week with a movie group.  This group of guys is notorious for checking out every sports movie that comes along, so when a film about Champion Boxer Vinny Pazienza was announced, I knew that this would be on the docket.

And, I'm glad it was, for the most part.

BLEED FOR THIS tells the remarkable true story of a Boxing Champion who, after winning the championship, suffers a broken neck in an auto accident.  Doctors are concerned if he 'll ever walk again.  Pazienza is concerned with something else - will he ever fight again.  

It's an incredible story, one of true "triumph of the human spirit" that was just waiting to be told on screen and with the intense Miles Teller in the lead role, this movie had the makings of something special.  Joining Teller with strong performances are Katy Segal (as his mother), the always good Ciaran Hinds (as his father) and my new favorite actor, Aaron Eckhart, off his strong supporting performance in SULLY , with another strong supporting performance as Pazienza's trainer who sticks with him the whole way.

With these ingredients sitting there, this film was poised to be very good and since it was written and directed by the same person - Ben Younger (Boiler Room) - it was going to have a very specific, personal focus.

And that's where this movie falls short.

Younger, I think, fell in love with his script and was duty-bound to put every word, every gesture, every thought on film - and this drags it down.  We are treated to long periods of Teller, as Pazienze, struggling, thinking and working out on his own.  Not the items that make for great drama and by the time we get to the climactic fight at the end of the film (name me a boxing movie that doesn't have a climactic fight at the end of the film), I just didn't care enough about the outcome to be excited, I just wanted it to be over.

Overall, a "good enough" time.  If you enjoy sports films - and especially if you like boxing films - then you'll like this.  If you like fast action and stirring conflict, you might want to look elsewhere.

6 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank (ofMarquis)

A triumphant story on Vinny. But the film is slightly dull.

[cruise01 · 6/10 · 15 March 2017]

Bleed for This a sports drama based on the champion boxer Vinny Pazienza and the accident that almost left him paralyzed. It does not stop him on the road to recovery in training to get back into the boxing ring. These films are suppose to make you feel a little inspirational seeing real life situations happening to real people. The film does show very little for the inspiration.

Vinny (Miles Teller) is a cocky boxer, who rigs his body weight to meet the requirements. After the car accident, that leaves him wearing a halo ring on his neck for six months to recover. And the doctors telling him he is unable to ever go back in the ring. He spends his day, eating junk food, watching day time TV, going to strip clubs, and hanging out with his personal trainer Kevin (Aaron Eckhart). Vinny decides that he needs to work harder to train himself to get back into the ring against the doctors wishes.

The positive things about Bleed for This is it tries to have a fun sense of 1980s direction with the music soundtrack. Also, the inspirational true story about a boxer never letting a severe injury from stopping him to doing what he is inspired to do. The climax of the boxing match as Vinny is risking himself from severing his spinal cord from a single bad throw that can paralyze him was cringe worthy. Also, Miles Teller did a great job in portraying Vinny Pazienza. Aaron Eckhart playing a balding out of shape trainer was also good.

The negative thing about the film besides knowing how the turn out and what will happen to the character ends. I felt like the direction could have been a little stronger with its inspirational tone. The film does so well in trying to have a fun 80s tone, or delivering great performances with the cast. To make you feel for the moment and making it memorable unlike the others does not have much going for the movie. It can get pretty slow in the middle of the film until Vinny tries to lift weights while recovering. The music score Julia Holter does so little in making a memorable score besides having a couple of beat down 80s song.

Overall, Bleed for This is a fair sports drama film that has good talent, and an inspired concept but does so little with trying so hard on making the movie emotional. The hard recovery the boxer went through will be inspired as a strong motivation but the film sadly will easily be forgotten. I will rate the film 3 out of 5 stars.

Vinny Pazienza...

[Thanos_Alfie · 7/10 · 16 March 2020]

"Bleed for This" is a Biography - Sport movie in which we watch the real-life story of World Champion Boxer Vinny Pazienza. While a World Champion Boxer had a near fatal car crash from which it wasn't certain whether he would ever walk again or not. He didn't only walk again but he made one of sport's most incredible comebacks.

I really liked this movie because it was based on a real-life story of a great athlete who made the impossible, possible. The direction which was made by Ben Younger who is also the writer of this movie was simply amazing and he presented very well the difficulties and the obstacles that Vinny Pazienza faced and had to overcome in order not only to walk again but to fight. The interpretations of both Miles Teller who played as Vinny Pazienza and Aaron Eckhart who played as Kevin Rooney were simply exceptional. Some other interpretations that have to be mentioned were Ciarán Hinds' who played as Angelo Pazienza and Katey Sagal who played as Louise Pazienza and they both did a great job. I highly recommend everyone to watch this movie because I am sure that you will love it and after watching it you will remember it for a long time.

Faith & Persistence

[clarkj-565-161336 · 7/10 · 21 November 2016]

Based on a true story, Vinny Pazienza overcomes a terrible car accident to return to the sport he truly loves, Boxing. I was a bit hesitant to see this movie because of all the previous movies about fighters. However the director quickly immerses you into Vinny's world and you are immediately hooked. What I liked most about the movie was how all the characters were so believable. The close family relationship, the mother's ritual when all the relatives are glued to the tube, the family dinners, ornaments etc. Everyone has a lot of soul and individuality. Vinny's determination is all important, but he has the affection and love from friends and family. Most of all he has his coach, portrayed by Aaron Eckhart. A man who is fighting is own demons of being a has been, wanting a winner, but also knowing that a coach must do what is best for those under his charge, regardless of what is best for him or others.

Could've been great

[v-ley · 6/10 · 1 April 2017]

I think Miles is the only one trying to act in this movie and not pantomime his character like other's seem to do. I get the whole New York/New Jersey thing but come on, not every girlfriend is slut and not every Sister is a bully. If this was portrayed in any of the promos, I wouldn't have watched it. I can't stand loud, bossy, bullying women or the men who are around them. If Vinnie was like this in real life, then he truly was and still is an inspiration but his family of women were not entertaining to watch. My guess is that he had to placate them even on film. Other than that, the movie is alright on it's own as his true story of over-coming pain, disappointment and a strong need to feel validated. I don't say vindicated because he was already before his accident, he just couldn't stop until HE was ready.

Bleed for This (2016)

[stimpy_tr · 7/10 · 2 April 2022]

This is a biographical movie about the boxer Vinny Pazienza who broke his neck in a car accident and wear a halo brace for 6 months. His comeback to boxing is amazing. The story is a bit straightforward but it flows nicely and acting is all right. Overall, it is a nice watch.

It's alright

[Gordon-11 · 7 April 2017]

This film tells the story of an American boxer, who has a bright future ahead of him. Unfortunately, he is almost killed in a traffic accident, squashing his dreams to continue boxing. He refuses to accept his fate, continues to train and make a spectacular comeback

Our hero in the film doesn't give up, working hard against all odds and then achieve the seemingly impossible. This is guaranteed to be an inspiring story, but strangely enough I don't feel the passion and emotions that I thought I would feel. The fight scenes don't seem intense enough either. Fortunately, the production is good, and Aaron Eckhart is almost unrecognisable as the boxing coach, which makes him even more convincing.

An Exercise in Pure Vanity

[bkrauser-81-311064 · 7/10 · 6 December 2016]

2016 may just be the year of the dueling mediocre boxing bios. Earlier this year Hands of Stone (2016), the Roberto Duran story, slumped in and out of the box office like a welter weight's sparring partner. Now it seems Bleed for This, a biography of Vinny Pazienza is about to do the same.

To be fair, this story does have a tasty little twist. In the weeks after bouncing back from a losing streak, Providence's local champion Vinny Pazienza (Teller) becomes a victim of a car accident that nearly ruins his career. The accident leaves his neck broken and spine nearly severed, requiring him to wear a steel halo for six months. Nearly everyone including his family, managers and coach tell him he's done for. Yet Vinny feels with the right combination of determination, grit and moral support, he can have another chance in the ring.

For all the positive messages that can be gleamed from this film, the failures of Bleed for This is encrusted right there in its DNA. The film starts by straining to make its hero likable going so far as to downplay or ignore any possible faults. He doesn't drink, doesn't lose his temper, doesn't buckle under pressure, never gives up and only sees the best in people. Thirty minutes into the movie the only flaw Vinny seems to have is he stays up past his bedtime and splits his tens in blackjack.

The problem with a character so determined is there's absolutely no risk. The character arc (if you can say there is one) is calcified; the audiences never surprised nor worried for our beleaguered hero. The unthinkable happens and Vinny's prescription isn't anything new just a concentrated dose of the exact same stick-to-itiveness that made him great in the first place.

Miles Teller for all his charisma can't help but exude smugness as our demigod protagonist. "The scariest thing about giving up is it's easy," he says, with the authority of a bumper sticker. Indeed, nearly everything he says apes your average Tony Robbins symposium. Yet none of it is for his family, his friends or his coach Kevin (Eckhart) who is in sore need of a "coming to God" moment. Nope, it's all for him to keep himself motivated and doing what he claims is easy.

For his work, Eckhart is completely unrecognizable in this film. Gone is the Grecian bod of your girlfriend's hot dad – replaced instead with a receding hairline, a beer belly and a thick New England accent. Without really trying to Eckhart vastly improves nearly every scene he's in and once he's introduced, every time he's not on screen there's an Eckhart shaped hole in the firmament. Call this performance a dark horse contender for Best Supporting Actor, which could've gathered momentum if all of Kevin's redemption scenes weren't so obviously left on the cutting room floor.

As it stands, Bleed for This is an effective motivational poster but not a very good movie. There's little to root for and little tension other than the climactic bout between Pazianza and Duran. Yet even then, the film leans a bit too much on tired boxing film clichés to be memorable and doesn't have the dimensionality of Hands of Stone to keep the audience riveted.

The Tazmanian Devil's story

[gary-08393 · 9/10 · 26 October 2016]

No spoilers here. I went to a screening last night in Los Angeles for 'Bleed for This'.

It's an excellent movie that delivers solid performances from the supporting cast. Oscar nominations abound.

Aaron Eckhart comes through with a dead-on take of Kevin Rooney (all the way down to the walk) and should be a shoo-in for an Oscar nomination.

Miles Teller shows a depth beyond his years in his portrayal of the Pazmanian Devil.

Highly recommend.

Gary Randall Craveonline.com

This is a terrifically acted and well-told true story, but it may give some contemplative Movie Fans pause.

[dave-mcclain · 7/10 · 24 November 2016]

Movie Fans who are also fans of boxing movies know the formula well: There's a young fighter who many people don't believe in. He works hard and finally gets his chance to prove himself. He suffers a defeat, reevaluates, regroups, gets back in the ring and is victorious, even if that victory is simply a moral one. We love these movies because that story arc is familiar and relatable to anyone who has ever struggled to reach a big goal. And we Movie Fans can't seem to get enough of these underdog / comeback stories – including those boxing movies – even if they have become almost too familiar. But then, just when we think we've seen it all before, along comes the biopic "Bleed for This" (R, 1:57).

Miles Teller stars as Vinny Pazienza (who later changed his legal name to Vinny Paz), the Rhode Island fighter who became the IBF World Lightweight Champion in 1987. Paz (as most people call him) keeps winning fights, but he's having more and more trouble making weight in his weight class and his pre-fight regimen leaves him dangerously dehydrated. When his manager, Lou Duva (Ted Levine) suggests that Paz retire, he refuses. Lou then sends him a new trainer, Kevin Rooney (Aaron Eckhart), an alcoholic has-been who once trained and then was fired by Mike Tyson. Paz and Kevin decide on the extreme change of bumping Paz up two weight classes. Angelo (Ciarán Hinds), Vinny's father and cornerman, objects, but Paz comes out better than ever and wins another title – fighting as a Light Middleweight.

Then, tragedy strikes. Paz is riding in a car with his sister's fiancé when the two men get in a head-on collision with another car, breaking Paz' neck. The doctor tells Paz that he may not walk again. Paz insists that he's going to walk again – and fight again. His family and friends remain supportive, but everyone around Paz is sure that his boxing career is over. Paz, however, remains determined. Rather than allowing his doctor to fuse two vertebrae in his neck, Paz chooses to wear a metal halo to stabilize his neck as he heals. But long before the halo is scheduled to come off, Paz surreptitiously starts lifting weights in his basement. Paz soon lets Kevin in on his secret and convinces Kevin to start training him again in private, setting the stage for what many have called the greatest comeback in sports history.

"Bleed for This" is a great story that is well-written and well-directed (in both cases, by Ben Younger) and extraordinarily well-acted, but will leave some Movie Fans more conflicted than inspired. While rooting for Paz' comeback, we can't help but be distracted by the foolhardiness of the chances he took with his recovery, his long-term mobility and his life, even as he had so many people around him who loved him and would have been devastated if his stubbornness had cost him future quality of life, or, possibly life itself. Still, most people can respect Paz' relentless pursuit of what he considered a worthy goal – and we can all relate when he answers an accusation from his trainer that he doesn't know how to give up by saying, "I know exactly how to give up. You know what scares me Kev? Is that it's easy." Questions about priorities aside, the main reason to watch this movie may be the acting. Teller brings his trademark all-in physical and emotional commitment to his role. As for the rest of the cast, except for some members of Vinny's family, who are more annoying than engaging, several of the film's supporting players are award-worthy, including Eckhart, Hinds, Levine and a nearly unrecognizable Katey Segal (Vinny's mother), all of whom disappear into their roles, both physically (helped by some great hairstyling and make-up) and emotionally (giving terrific, lived-in performances). Be warned, however, that the pervasive adult language and frequent female nudity (not to mention the obvious violence) takes this one far away from "family movie" territory. All things considered, on our movie judging scorecards, this remarkable story, supplemented by fantastic individual performances, result in a split decision coming down in favor of… seeing "Bleed for This". "B+"

A not so glorious but incredible comeback story.

[SpoilerAlertReviews · 8/10 · 6 December 2016]

Ben Younger has been rather quiet in recent years with a short directorial filmography, Boiler Room being one of my favourite films, that being released sixteen years ago. Younger writes, screenplays and directs this true story of one of the greatest comebacks in not just boxing history, but in the history of sport itself.

Vinny Pazienza, now legally know as Vinny Paz was the IBF World Lightweight Champion and then later the WBA World Jr. Middleweight Champion but had to relinquish the championship belt due having his neck broken in a near fatal car accident being told by doctors that he may not walk again, let alone fight again.

Miles Teller portrays Paz meticulously, giving yet another powerful performance possibly equal to his Whiplash, being undecided. He portrays the painful struggle back to recovery and beyond with the almost medieval Halo brace Paz had screwed into his skull for three months, yet this did not deter his training much to the protests of the doctors, family and friends.

It's got great performances from Aaron Eckhart, who plays legendary boxing trainer, Kevin Rooney, and Ciarán Hinds who plays his devoted father, going through the motions of glory to guilt, both having to deal with the decisions Paz makes which makes you question what you would do as friend or parent. Support him which could essential kill him? I think Eckhart is going for an Oscar nomination here.

It's well paced and focuses more on Paz himself as oppose to the fights that are very well choreographed and captured. There's impressive editing especially empathising the pain of both surgery, recovery and the blows, actually make some parts of the film uncomfortable to watch.

There's a good, gentle score from Julia Holter that enforces the emotional strong of the story; and is accompanied by a selection of eighties classics with a few tracks from the eccentric Willis Earl Beal giving a moody bluesy mode to the film. Check out the track "Too Dry To Cry."

It's great because, yes, it is a boxing movie, but it's about getting back up, fighting the only real adversary of self doubt, especially when everyone, and I mean everyone from friends and family tell you no. Having the courage and determination to not accept defeat, or is it delusional to believe in yourself, knowing the risks. Either way, it makes a grand basis for an incredible story of the ultimate comeback.

Running Time: 9 The Cast: 9 Performance: 9 Direction: 9 Story: 9 Script: 8 Creativity: 8 Soundtrack: 8 Job Description: 8 The Extra Bonus Points: 0 Would I buy the Bluray?: Yes, going next to Cinderella Man and The Hurricane.

77% 8/10

boxer biopic

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 21 October 2018]

This is a biopic of boxer Vinny Pazienza. He's an obsessed gambler. His boxing is faltering after three consecutive losses. Even his manager advises him to quit in a TV interview. As he makes his comeback, he gets into a car accident on his way to a casino. He is endangered of never walking again. Despite the dangers, he secretly trains with his head halo brace. At first, no one is willing to fight him due to his injury but with some media attention, he gets a title fight with champion Roberto Durán.

This is sorta like Rocky without the romance. My only drawback is that I don't love Vinny. It's not that he's mean-spirited or villainous in any way. It's more like he's self-destructive and not in a loveable way. Maybe they could downplay his gambling instead of highlighting it. He's bull-headed which could work during his halo section but it's already used-up by his gambling. Some parts work better than others. The biopic aspects work even if I don't like the content sometimes. There is a stereotypical reality to the characters and Vinny has my grudging respect.

A lightweight, with a heavyweight story.

[aciessi · 5/10 · 19 November 2016]

Miles Teller has become an exceptional actor of his time. I was excited to see his turn as Vinny Paz, the Boxer with the broken spine. A story of overcoming impossible odds and agonizing pain seems like a role that was tailor maid for Teller. When we last saw him, he was getting slapped silly by an enraged jazz professor. Are we going to get Whiplash-ed again? Unfortunately, not this time. Among moments of greatness, Bleed for This is a totally missed opportunity. There is so much you could do with this material. Why couldn't we go deeper into the mind of Vinny? Why couldn't we see, in nuanced ways, how tortured a champion boxer could be when he realizes that he can never fight again? We do see this almost happening in the painful scenes of Vinny trying to lift a bar with his severed spine, and the brutal scene where Vinny gets his headgear unscrewed with no anesthesia. It's so visceral and awful, you can actually feel the pain. But the rest of the film is a cornucopia of boxing tropes. It's The Fighter meets Raging Bull meets Southpaw.. and on and on. You've seen it all before.

Decent movie on a remarkable story

[ferguson-6 · 6/10 · 17 November 2016]

Greetings again from the darkness. You may be excused if you believe there have been enough boxing movies recently. Just last year, we saw Creed and Southpaw – both critically acclaimed and featured significant screen time inside the ropes. Writer/director Ben Younger returns with his first movie since 2005 (Prime) and teams up with screenwriter Angelo Pizzo to present the "based on a true story" of Rhode Island's own Vinny Pazienza.

Mr. Pizzo is known for his work on inspirational sports films like Hoosiers, Rudy, The Game of Their Lives, and My All-American; so the fascinating and true story of Paz is right in his wheelhouse. See, The Pazmanian Devil (his nickname) was a terrific fighter, and is even more famous for his medically-defying comeback after a horrific car accident. The doctors doubted he would ever walk again, and offered Vinny no hope at all of ever fighting again.

Miles Teller (Whiplash, The Spectacular Now) plays Vinny Pazienza and obviously trained very hard to get in tip top shape. His boxing skills are well suited to the training sequences but must be creatively edited for the scenes in the ring. This is especially obvious when clips of the real Paz are inserted. Beyond that, Teller softens the overblown machismo of Pazienza and the boxing world. He captures the single-minded commitment of Pazienza, while making him a bit more likable than the real man came off in interviews.

Aaron Eckhart is excellent as Pazienza's (and Mike Tyson's former) trainer, Kevin Rooney. It's puzzling how Eckhart's name ever came up for the role of a balding, pudgy, alcoholic who believes he's been put out to pasture … but Eckhart and Teller together produce some wonderful scenes. Other support work comes from Ciaran Hinds and an underutilized Katey Sagal as Vinny's dad and mom, and Ted Levine and Jordan Gelber as boxing promoters Lou and Dan Duva.

The comeback was as improbable as it was inspirational, and the decision to go with the Halo (metal brace that screws into the skull) over the neck fusion surgery could easily be categorized as foolish rather than courageous. But much of the story revolves around the internal make-up and competitive drive that made Vinny the man and the boxer that we see.

The film has more in common with The Fighter than either of the movies mentioned in the first paragraph, but it's even more character study than boxing movie. This proud, driven, egotistical local from Providence held world titles at three different weight classes, refusing to be limited by the opinions of others. Rather than end with a classically Hollywood shot of victorious Paz celebrating in the ring, the film ends with an odd interview centered on his debate against the phrase "it's not that easy". It's a stance that makes us question whether he ever learned the lessons of gamble vs risk. Mostly though, we marvel and agree that he's a guy who deserves to be on a box of Wheaties.

It is that simple

[jeroduptown · 7/10 · 25 July 2021]

The crazy comeback story of Vinny the boxer that was close to being paralyzed in a car wreck. Determination and grit.

True story about a miraculous comeback, great movie

[Holt344 · 7/10 · 3 March 2019]

The inspirational story of World Champion Boxer Vinny Pazienza who, after a near fatal car crash which left him not knowing if he'd ever walk again, made one of sport's most incredible comebacks. That's the story and it's executed in such a great way, showing that it's well thought out and the filmmakers behind it knew how to tell the story visually and in the writing in the perfect way. Ben Younger truly did an incredible job at directing and doing the screenplay for the movie, he made a great movie and a boxing movie that isn't filled with clichés.

The ensemble cast was what gave me the interest to watch it, with names like: Aaron Eckhart, Katey Sagal, Ciarán Hinds and of course Miles Teller that plays Vinny, the main character. It was one of his best and believable performances out of his filmography, behind Thank You for Your Service which was just perfect. But this is another kind of performance as he's portraying a real person and I do believe he did an excellent job at giving Vinny justice.

Bleed for Comeback

[hrkepler · 7/10 · 8 June 2018]

This ain't no 'Rocky' - like some other reviewer said. And I'm clad it ain't no 'Rocky'. 'Bleed for This' doesn't offer anything new in the boxing genre, but it still stands as its own. The script is pretty basic and by the numbers, and mainly carried by the strong performances of the cast - especially Miles Teller who is just superb as Vinny Paz. It treats the viewers with some boxing movie clichés (at the moment I think there is no other way to make them), but they are not too obvious to ruin the experience. The real life story of Vinny Pazienza is incredible and in real life he's much more colorful personality than it was depicted in the film (so were some other characters). In that department, the film played little safe. Of course it's only a movie (a near good one), and it has to leave some room for fantasy and drama. Another thing I liked about the film is that it didn't do much over dramatization like most of the based on true life films (and sporting films in general) tend to do. 'Bleed for This' isn't the greatest film of the year or not even greatest boxing film, but it's one of the best that has come out in recent years. I'm sure this film will gain more appreciation over time.

Of course to me, who I'm little boxing enthusiast myself, I always get hyped for another boxing movie. 'Bleed for This' is quite well balanced, paced and acted sporting drama that is definitely worth giving shot at.

The Vidiot Reviews...

[capone666 · 6/10 · 15 February 2017]

Bleed for This

Boxing isn't that dangerous; it's the only sport you don't need a jockstrap to play.

In fact, the pugilist in this sports-drama wasn't paralyzed anywhere near a ring.

Vinny Paz (Miles Teller) is a junior welterweight who can't make his division so his father (Ciarán Hinds) hires Tyson's old trainer Kevin Rooney (Aaron Eckhart) to assist.

While his father doesn't approve of pushing his son into a new weight class, Vinny's junior middleweight world championship changes all that.

So, too, does the car accident that leaves him with a medical halo screwed into his skull. But even that's isn't enough to keep Vinny from the ring.

The mediocre retelling of the amazing recovery that took the boxing community by surprise in the early nineties, this true story's charm lies in its dedicated performances, not in its timeworn underdog prizefighter narrative.

Anecdotally, the next weight class in boxing after heavyweight is sumo.

Yellow Light

vidiotreviews.blogspot.ca

Never retreat, never surrender!

[kaptenvideo-89875 · 8/10 · 10 January 2017]

Feeling the lack is the first step to greatness. If you're fine with status quo you may never achieve something bigger. I'm pretty sure I have read something like this somewhere.

At least it's a fitting motto to „Bleed for This", the sports movie about this real-life young boxing champ who broke his neck and still managed to get back in form and claim another world champion belt.

More than that, Wikipedia says that he held it for over the next ten years. The guy's called Vinny Paz and he's 54 now, by the way.

So yes, it's another sports movie aiming „to the infinity and beyond"… but it doesn't go all Hollywood on our asses and actually manages to be a really good indie watch, having both heart and balls.

„Bleed for This" came out back in September and circled some festivals before reaching cinemas. The commercial success of the movie, sadly, hasn't been worthy of its tough-as-nails hero. It pretty much came and disappeared without a splash and hasn't gotten any award nominations either, big or small.

Quite why the producers and distributors didn't believe in the project enough to support it some, for Globes and Academy Awards campaign, at least, is beyond my comprehension. It's a true underdog story, also a sports movie – who doesn't like those, eh? – and also good movie in general.

(Probably the post-Trumpian USA needs more unpretentious happy tales like „La La Land" which has just managed to pick 7 out of 7 Globes.)

OK but what makes „Bleed for This" so great, then? Isn't there enough underdog and sports movies, award-winning or otherwise?

Well, I am glad you asked. In short, I like everything about it! The indie style, the atmosphere and feeling of the early 1990's working class USA, the great group of starring actors, the hardhitting boxing, the screenplay…

The result is not perfect – what is, anyway? – and one could nitpick about many things if wanted to.

For example, the movie runs near two hours which is not exactly a short amount of time… but one does not get a good sense of Vinny Paz's development as a champion sportsman, or even exactly how the recovery from the big accident went. Of course, it's all explained in passing, but it doesn't satisfy to the fullest.

Maybe it's just me because I enjoyed visiting Vinny's world, family and environment so much that I left the cinema wanting more. „Bleed for This" is one of those rather uncommon sports movies that is not afraid to let characters and story breathe and develop enough to lure us in, to make us want really be there for the characters, not just flashy action.

This kind of intimate connection to the movie mostly happens when its makers have strong personal connection with the whole thing too.

Seeing that Ben Younger is the director and the sole writer, we can assume it was a personal project and he makes the most out of everybody on screen.

The big name actors here are Miles Teller as Vinny Paz, Ciarán Hinds as his father (somehow I always confuse the guy with Alfred Molina) and Aaron Eckhart as his boxing trainer.

All the others have given good performances too, but these three are really worth every penny the producers had to spend on them. Which was probably not too much because the budget was about 6 million US dollars and shooting lasted for only 24 days.

They play it rough and raw, turning the characters into believable working-class heroes. Mark Wahlberg would have probably loved to be part of this experience. There are no showoff scenes so there's not much to talk about it, only enjoy it. Feel it, live it, breathe it!

I am especially happy about Aaron Eckhart choosing a worthwhile acting role again for a change. For most of the current decade, he has been doing boring commercial crap which is a world away from the works that made him known in the first place.

Here he seems to channel a younger less fat version of James Gandolfini which is enough for me to wish him a Supporting Actor Oscar, or at least a nomination.

And last but certainly not the least, „Bleed for This" cements Miles Teller's position as one of the most promising young American movie actors of his generation.

You almost remember him from big studio projects „Divergent" + „Insurgent" and 2015's „Fantastic Four" but he has also starred in a row of cool indie-er movies such as „The Spectacular Now" and „Whiplash".

The former quirky cool guy has transformed himself for the never- surrender-type boxer role but manages to turn what on paper seems like a cartoon character into living breathing human being. He should also get nominated for Oscar.

Ben Younger has previously only written and directed two feature length movies, 2000's really good „Boiler Room" and 2005's rather meh „Prime". It's nice to see him back with another success!

"Bleed for This" doesn't offer a biggest amount of boxing I have seen in a boxing movie. But I just read from IMDb that Teller was trained by Darrell Foster, who has trained fighters like Sugar Ray Leonard and helped Will Smith become Muhammad Ali for 2001's Ali.

I just wanted more of some parts and far less of others.

[johnny-burgundy · 7/10 · 5 November 2017]

Bleed for This (2016) This is a biographical sports film based on the life of former world champion boxer Vinny Pazienza. The film stars Miles Teller, with Aaron Eckhart, Katey Sagal, and Ted Levine in supporting roles. It received generally positive reviews but was a box office disappointment. It received little to no award recognition. It's not that it's a bad film. The problem is it's a boxing film about a man's comeback and redemption. It means it will be immediately compared to Rocky. This is a disadvantage to these types of films and requires them to step up their game. This film failed in some aspects, but did well in others. I wanted some more background in the beginning and some parts of the film could have been tightened up to allow for this. It seems either the editing or writing was flawed. I just wanted more of some parts and far less of others.

Boxing Clever

[SteelBlossom · 10/10 · 29 November 2016]

This my first IMDb review after years of reading them, upon leaving the cinema though I thought this deserved it. Full marks for this movie, Miles Teller for his performance but most of all for Vinny Paz ( Pazienza ) who this biography is about.

I saw this on a good size screen tonight with an enthusiastic audience, and we loved it. There were a lot of laughs throughout and a tension in the room, I really felt for this guy! Great performances from the whole cast and Miles Teller was on top form looking extremely buff. Nice to see Katey Segal looking fantastic as she always has . I wouldn't want to spoil this for anyone who hasn't seen it, although if you are a boxing fan you already know the story, just to say at the end of the film there was a round of applause, the Italians being the most vocal ha ha

I only wish there had been more ~ now I want to watch all this boxer's fights

Recommended!

If your forgiving for the use of sports clichès, you'll probably enjoy Bleed for This

[RforFilm · 6/10 · 21 November 2016]

Shall we get into sports again? When people think about boxing movies, they usually either turn to the Rocky series or Raging Bull. People love the underdog story and the world of boxing seems to filled with tough guys that are looking to fight as a way of living. It's something that I could never do, but if someone wants to take several punches to the face for money, then good for them. Living the boxing story is one thing, but to make a movie about them is something else.

What makes boxing movies tough is that a lot of them tend to stick to the same story. They're either about a guy who wants to box, or its about the boxer who had fallen from grace and want to get back up. How many times can you really tell that story? Sometimes, some of the biopics are filled with clichés as life itself has clichés. These elements are fine for an adaptation as long as the story can find a new way to use it. So when one boxer gets into a situation where is neck is broken and he manages to get back in the ring, how do you make that original? Lets see how Bleed for This does so.

In the mid eighties, boxer Vinny Paz (played by Miles Teller) is an arrogant, but successful world champion in the lightweight division who always strives to be the best. Like a lot of people from the Northeast, he comes from an Italian family who has supported him through his career. Training him is Kevin Rooney (played by Aaron Eckhart) who seems to be going though his own problems of alcoholism. After defeating the world champion in the middleweight division, Vinny gets into a horrific car crash.

When he wakes up, he finds his neck in a brace with his back in a straight position. His doctors inform him that he suffered a serious neck fracture and that he's be lucky enough to walk again let alone fight. He's sent home after they fit his skull with a halo brace, keeping his head straight and his neck upright. Against his doctors orders, he begins a workout regiment hoping that he'll continue to fight after he's healed. He even talks Kevin into being his trainer again. Unlike before, his family wants nothing to do with Vinny possibly killing himself.

Is Bleed for This another cliché boxing story? Well…yea, but there are elements that do make it good on it's own merit. I kind of feel bad as Vinny Paz's story is extraordinary, but this had little way out of seeming a lot like a TV movie with it's structure. A lot of the previews have made this mistake of skipping forward to show that he heals, though I think most people would have already assumed that. I kept thinking back to The Wrestler, which really put the odds against the athlete. Here, the stakes are present, but we're not experiencing them (why couldn't we see more of Vinny in the pain he's suffering?).

Now let's get to the good stuff. Miles Teller is well casted as Vinny Paz who seems to match in looks and personality so much that the film plays real life footage of the boxer against the film. He may have had the tougher job, but the best performance goes to Aaron Eckhart, who I got a sense that he really understood his trainer character. We've seen the grizzled trainer before, but something about Eckhart's delivery made him interesting. If your pretty forgiving of the fact this movie uses the sports cliché of the comeback, then you'll probably like this story.

I'll give this six halo casts out of ten. For two hours, I felt like that I got an entertaining story. Whether you'll do the same depends on how forgiving you are to seeing this story over again. Make your decision and see if its worth getting in the ring.

This ain't no Rocky!

[Ramascreen · 3/10 · 15 November 2016]

The problem with BLEED FOR THIS is that the true story behind it is way more fascinating than the film itself which unfortunately doesn't get to be anything more than mundane. After having seen countless other comeback underdog themed films in the past, BLEED FOR THIS just seems so uninspired.

Miles Teller plays Vinny "The Pazmanian Devil" Pazienza, a boxer who shot to stardom after winning 2 world title fights. He's at the top of his game. But a near fatal car crash leaves him with spinal injury so bad the doctors think he may never walk again. But with the help of stubbornness and his trainer, Kevin Rooney (Aaron Eckhart), Vinny proves everybody wrong and not only does he get to walk again, he ultimately returns to the ring and reclaims his title belt. It's been deemed as one of the most incredible comebacks in sports history.

As I said earlier, the true story of Vinny and how he defied all odds is fascinating, I mean the guy actually had metals screwed in to his head and shoulders, the damage would make even people with faith be skeptical of Vinny's recovery. So the fact that he ended up boxing again was nothing short of a miracle. But the film unfortunately is too textbook, there's nothing authentic about writer/director Ben Younger's approach, even the way it presents some of the characters' personal demons, they come across like some kind of caricatures. Which is a shame because I commend Younger for taking a risk on the guy who usually plays the funny friend ("Footloose," "Divergent") and was part of that horrible "Fantastic Four" reboot, Miles Teller. I think gambling on Teller was the right move on Younger, Teller in my opinion does his job, maybe not to the extent that De Niro did his in "Raging Bull," but Teller provides a much needed intensity. The kid's got talent. I can't say the same for the rest of the actors around him that are too busy trying to look and talk and walk like they're local Providence. BLEED FOR THIS is what happens when a script plays it too much by the book and plays it safe, what you get is a film that doesn't move you; a film that lacks imagination and excitement.

-- Rama's Screen --

Does Justice To Truly Amazing Story

[AudioFileZ · 7/10 · 2 February 2017]

Bleed For This is not just another boxing movie. True, the story is a variation of the standard one, but this movie differentiates itself because it's about the true life career of Vinny Pazienza. Pazienza's a walking miracle as it was not certain after a horrific auto accident he'd live let alone be able to walk again. The fact that he resumed his boxing career winning another world title is why this story stands alone. This is a singular comeback which is likely never to be eclipsed in the most unforgiving of all sports.

The viewer will certainly enjoy the well re-enacted boxing scenes, they are solid, but the crux of this movie is Pazienza/s world outside the ring. He's a driven and focused athlete whose long- shot status, uber Italian family, and famous, "has been", coach add tons of color - and that's before he almost loses his life setting up his virtually impossible comeback. Miles Teller is absolute perfection as Pazienza. His performance truly brings this fantastic story to life. Aaron Eckhart as trainer Kevin Rooney shines to. It's Eckhart like I've never seen him and he surprises in a good way. Another performance of merit is Irish actor Ciaran Hinds portrayal of Pazienza's father Angelo. Hinds gets his WAP (not meant in any derogatory way) on here so good it defines the term "inhabiting a character".

All in all a miraculous sport's and life story told well. See this one, you'll be entertained as well as uplifted.