Harder They Fall (2009)

Best movie of this year hands down!

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Wow... after reading some of the other reviews raving about this film, I felt compelled to write some of my own comments.First of all, in response to the 10 star reviews, come on guys, get real! I guarantee the average person could not even get close to actually finishing this movie.I came across this travesty (more on that later) while browsing the "Watch Instantly" section on Netflix. First of all, the box art used is not even accurate; it portrays what looks to be a UFC match (octagon-ring and all with a captive audience watching); but, in reality, the fights all take place in a boxing ring situated in the corner of a small gym, with about 10 extras watching.I didn't have a particular problem with this, as I was going in planning to watch a kickboxing movie, which it was, but 2 sides of the ring were placed against a wall, so it was kind of hard to imagine that any sort of publicized fight would actually take place in this venue.Production wise, there were several scenes that lacked dialogue (in order to save time and money I'm sure), but since the dialogue present in other scenes was generally weak, this was forgivable. What was not forgivable however was the actual video quality, as the entire feature had an annoying strobe-like quality. While I can usually forgive somewhat poor production values, this was just inexcusable, as were several of the sound effects used; which were somewhat loosely synced by the way.Overall, I give the filmmakers' credit in one thing and one thing only. The ability to finish a feature film and actually find distribution on what had to be a very, very low budget.As hard as I am on this review, just remember one thing. A film has to compete against every other film, as they all vie for a viewer's time and money; with that said, aside from the director, crew members and actors getting the experience, it just does not even seem worthwhile making movies of this quality, and that's coming from someone who's a fan of kickboxing and independent films!

Low budget shot on video boxing movie about two boxers, one a well off kid of some notoriety and ability and the other a street kid looking to stay out of trouble. The film follows their lives as they try to navigate life in and out of the ring. This is a good looking little film that, unfortunately, is dramatically inert. There are long silences and other attempts at meaning but it never amounts to much, worse not a lot of it seems real, the boxing scenes really didn't, even in a home movie of an amateur match sort of a way (certainly I don't know of any fighter who would fight in matches with an announcer calling the action every week). It does have heart felt performances but there is no real emotion to hook unto. One can pretty much guess where things are going but it's the sort of thing that you really won't care about. On the plus side I let the DVD of the film run to the end with out fast forwarding, on the negative side I got up in the middle of it and did other things only to come back at the end and realize I had left it on. I'd take a pass.

I think the previously written review, that gave it 10 stars, was written by someone involved with this movie's creation. This movie should not be sold or rented. I watched it via Netflix and it is by far the worst movie I've ever seen. Save yourself the time and grab a camera and a few friends. Take those friends and create some fake fight scenes, add some wretched sound and amateur acting and you'll have Harder They Fall. It may confuse you at first... You may wonder when the real movie will start... But it's pure crap all the way through. You will live a fuller, richer life if you don't see this movie. How this movie made it mainstream is completely beyond me. Maybe I could publish my home videos too.

Lee Anthony Cipolla shows, once again, that his greatest skill as a filmmaker is in making the best of what is available, as a writer, a director, and an editor. Like a truly great chef, who can cook a gourmet meal even in a poorly stocked kitchen, he sees great potential in the world around him and makes films to draw out that inherent beauty.A self-proclaimed "guerrilla" filmmaker, the budget for his first short film was around $50, and, as surprising as it may seem, the final budget for "Harder They Fall" barely topped $2000. It is a mark of his particular genius that anyone could turn around and complain that these movies are "overbudgeted" and "flashy." Although masterfully executed and superbly edited, the action sequences are not what make this film worth seeing. Shot entirely in Miami with a local cast and crew, "Harder They Fall" is a loving testament to the city, a city often under-appreciated by visiting directors. It is a touching and beautiful coming-of-age film, and I urge anyone who is offered a chance to see this film to take it immediately.