Movies: The Cut (2024) by Sean Ellis: The Brute Reality of a Final Fight

A Boxer's Descent into Desperation The Cut is a boxing drama and thriller directed by Sean Ellis. The film follows a retired boxer, played by Orlando Bloom, who gets a last-minute chance at a title fight. The only catch is that he must lose a dramatic amount of weight in a very short time. He teams up with an "unscrupulous trainer," played by John Turturro, and embarks on an illegal and grueling weight-cutting program. The film is less about boxing itself and more about the extreme physical and psychological torment of the process.

Why to watch this movie (Why to recommend this movie): A Transformative Performance

• Orlando Bloom's Career-Defining Role: Orlando Bloom underwent a major physical transformation, losing 52 pounds in three months for the role. His performance is described as "visceral," "raw," and "authentic," a far cry from his previous action and fantasy roles.

• A Masterful Director's Return: The film is directed by Sean Ellis, known for his critically acclaimed, kinetic, and stylized films like Metro Manila. This project marks a return to his independent roots and a showcase of his talent for ratcheting up tension.

• A Gritty and Unflinching Look: The movie offers a stark and intense look at the price of fighting, exposing the extreme measures athletes take to "make the weight." It's a gripping and powerful watch for anyone interested in the mental and physical limits of human endurance.

Where to watch: https://www.amazon.com/Cut-Sean-Ellis/dp/B0FPFVJJBF (US)

Link IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt26697087/

Link Review: https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-cut-movie-review

About movie: https://tiff.net/events/the-cut

What is the Trend followed? The "Method Acting" Film

• The film follows the trend of an actor undergoing a dramatic physical transformation for a role, a practice often associated with "method acting."

• It joins a long line of films where actors have gone to extreme lengths for their craft, such as Christian Bale in The Machinist or Charlize Theron in Monster.

• This trend often garners significant awards buzz and critical attention, positioning Bloom for potential accolades.

Director's Vision: The Internal and External Battle

• Sean Ellis's vision is to make a film that is not about the boxing match, but about the brutal, internal journey of the weight cut.

• He uses a kinetic and disorienting style, with frequent close-ups, blurry backgrounds, and shifting points of view to place the audience squarely in the boxer's shoes as he loses his grip on reality.

• The director also uses the physical torment to explore the psychological demons of the character's past, revealing the layers of trauma that fuel his desperation.

Themes: Redemption, Sacrifice, and the Limits of the Human Body

• The Quest for Redemption: The protagonist is on a journey to "exorcise some of his long-held demons" from a past failure. The weight cut is his brutal path to redemption, a way to prove something to himself and the world.

• Sacrifice and Self-Destruction: The film explores the fine line between dedication and self-destruction, showing how the desire to succeed can lead a person to destroy their body and their mind.

• Mind Over Matter: The central question of the film is whether the mind can "win over the body." It’s a powerful examination of mental fortitude and its ability to push a person far beyond their physical limits.

Key success factors: An Acclaimed Performance and Genre Fusion

• Orlando Bloom's Performance: Critics and viewers have universally praised Orlando Bloom's transformative performance, calling it a career highlight.

• Genre Fusion: The film’s blend of a sports drama with a psychological thriller creates a unique and compelling narrative that sets it apart from typical boxing movies.

• Critical Acclaim: The film has received positive reviews for its filmmaking, a sign of Sean Ellis's continued prowess as a director.

Awards and Nominations: A Potential Contender The film has not yet received any major awards, but critics have already mentioned it as a potential awards contender, especially for the BAFTAs, for both Orlando Bloom’s lead performance and Sean Ellis’s direction.

Critics Reception: A Visceral, If Flawed, Experience

• The Guardian: A review from The Guardian praised the film's "bleak beauty" and its "unflinching" portrayal of the physical and psychological toll of weight cutting.

• Variety: Variety highlighted Bloom's "stunningly committed performance," noting that the film's strength lies in its ability to show the "sheer human cost" of athletic ambition.

• Overall Summary: Critics are very positive about the film's core concept, the lead performances from both Bloom and John Turturro, and the film's stylistic direction. However, some have noted that the narrative is "under-cooked" and that the supporting characters are "disappointingly undercooked."

Reviews: Compelling and Intense

• hajarmia (IMDb): An IMDb user review calls the film "a visceral and stark look at the price of fighting," praising the storytelling for its "raw intensity" and "compelling journey."

• kindastolen (IMDb): Another IMDb review notes that the film is "propulsive and no scene ever outstays its welcome," and calls Bloom and Turturro "exceptional."

• Overall Summary: Audiences who have seen the film have been captivated by its intense atmosphere and Bloom's dedicated performance. The consensus is that the film is a powerful, if sometimes difficult, watch that succeeds in its portrayal of mental and physical struggle.

What Movie Trend film is following: The 'Exposé' Thriller The film is following the trend of the exposé thriller, a genre that exposes the dark side of an industry, event, or profession. The film serves as a harsh exposé of the brutal and often illegal practices behind extreme weight cutting in combat sports.

What Big Social Trend is following: The 'Bio-Hacking' Craze The film taps into the social trend of "bio-hacking," where people go to extreme lengths to optimize their bodies. The illegal weight-cutting program in the film reflects a darker, more dangerous side of this trend, where people are willing to push their bodies to the brink in pursuit of a specific physical goal.

Final Verdict: A Viscerally Powerful Film The Cut is a tough, visceral, and uncompromising film that is anchored by a career-defining performance from Orlando Bloom. While the narrative may be a bit thin for some, the film's power lies in its raw intensity and its ability to place the audience inside the hellish, claustrophobic world of a fighter on the verge of collapse. It's a must-see for fans of boxing films and psychological thrillers, as well as anyone who wants to see a top-tier actor at the peak of his craft.