Paddy Considine writes, directs and stars in this drama about a boxer who suffers a head trauma after what was supposed to be his last fight. Matty Burton (Considine) is a husband, father and middleweight champion, apparently unruffled by his younger, cockier opponent, Andre “The Future” Bryte (Anthony Welsh). In fact, Considine’s Burton is so seemingly, robustly good that the film might be considered a vanity project, were it not for his ugly bursts of violence that manifest outside the ring. The injury impairs his speech, mobility and memory, leaving wife Emma (Jodie Whittaker) to become his full-time carer.
The film is a little self-serious, and the story’s recovery arc wraps up too tidily, but as a character study – and showcase for Considine and Whittaker’s considerable gifts as actors – it’s surprisingly interesting and angular.
