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Girlfight ’s message has undeniable punchBy Alison GillmorIN boy boxing movies, the only thing you hear about women is that they’re bad for the legs, which is why our hero has to stay away from his girlfriend the night before the big fight.In this crudely exhilaratingdrama, co-winner of the grand jury prize at last year's Sundance, our hero is actually a heroine. Diana is the boxer here, and if men are bad for her legs, she’s not worried.Diana is played by newcomer Michelle Rodriguez, who looks like a cross between a Raphael madonna and Rocky and delivers a knock-MovieReviewGirlfight■ Polo Park■ R★ ★★1/2 out of fiveout punch of a performance.An angry, brawling high school senior, Diana lives in a tough housing project in Brooklyn with her hard-case father and her dreamy, artistic brother. Mother is mysteriously out of the picture.When Diana goes down to the local boxing club to pick up herbrother, who's unenthusiastically learning the manly art of self-defence, she decides she wants to train. Not as a work-out to make her look good in short skirts, as one of the guys suggests — she wants to fight.Despite misspelt hand-made signs all over the gym telling us that boxing is brains over brawn and “champions are made, not born,'’ Diana’s decision to train with trainer Hector (You don’t sweat for me, vou’re nut of mv life.’’) is controversial.Things get even harder when she comes up against her sort-of boyfriend Adrian (Santiago Douglas) in a big “gender-blind” amateur match. This cliehed situation suggests the film's weaknesses. The father-daughter relationship, distorted to make a didactic point, is another problem.Director Karvn Kusama is a little like Diana — lots of force, not enough control, as Hector says. She isn’t consistent, but her message has undeniable power, especially for young women.This is one of those movies that affects you physically as you’re walking out of the theatre. Musicals make you feel like you can tap-dance. Girlfight makes you feel like you can clean somebody's clock.
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