Michael Pitt is proof that no actor should ever be written off, especially one with so much untapped potential. The former model and heartthrob best known for his roles in Funny Games, Boardwalk Empire, The Dreamers, and my personal favorite of his, Bully, Pitt always seemed to shy away from the spotlight. His talent kept him busy and sought-after, though, until he suddenly vanished for a few years (following the disastrous rollout of The Last Days of American Crime) to deal with personal demons I won’t get into here. Pitt has reemerged in the most unlikely of roles, starring as a washed-up boxer in Day of the Fight, the directorial debut of his Boardwalk Empire co-star Jack Huston.
Huston’s elegant but bruising drama is less about the fight in the ring than the one outside of it. Pitt stars as Mike Flannigan, a kind-hearted boxer on the day of the most important match of his career. A former champion, Mike has only just been released from prison after a drunk driving accident that killed a child and destroyed the relationship with his ex-wife Jessica (Nicolette Robinson) and their daughter. Now, Mike stays in a nearly empty apartment with nobody to keep him company other than his cat. He trains all day and looks for ways to make amends. Fortunately, people still have a lot of love for Mike. He’s been gifted a comeback undercard match at Madison Square Garden. Unfortunately, he’s also been warned never to fight again due to a brain aneurysm that could be fatal if Mike is hit the wrong way.
Pitt, who has bulked up, shed the supermodel good looks, and now resembles Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler, delivers a similarly soulful, galvanizing performance that’s one of the year’s best. Mike is a good egg, which is why people go out of their way to help him whether it’s the lady who gives him his glass of egg yolks in the morning, or his pastor buddy Patrick (John Magaro) who imparts words of wisdom, or his trainer Stevie (Ron Perlman) who helped arrange the night’s match. Steve Buscemi, another Boardwalk Empire vet, has a small role as Mike’s uncle who has been helping raise him through a tragic childhood. You want to root for Mike to be victorious because he’s fighting an uphill battle that we all can recognize. When Mike stands up to a bully pushing around his sparring partner, you see that he’s a guy who means well, but is perhaps a bit self-destructive, too. We soon find out where he gets it from in a terrific cameo performance by Joe Pesci who plays Mike’s abusive father, now near-catatonic following a stroke. Pesci’s presence (as well as the film’s aesthetics) immediately recall Raging Bull, and that’s fair. The story beats of redemption and atonement are familiar yet remain tremendously effective.
Shot in black and white and utilizing a low-key, gentle score, Day of the Fight doesn’t try to escape its somber tone. We sense that Mike is on a collision course from the moment we meet him, and as he visits the various people who mean something to him, it begins to feel like someone wrapping up unfinished business. And yet, when the bell rings and Mike starts swinging for all that he’s worth, we’re right there with him hoping he scores the biggest knockout of his life.
Huston could’ve chosen a much easier film with greater odds of box office success to make his debut with. Fortunately for us, he told the story he wanted to tell in the way he wanted to tell it. Day of the Fight is an understated gem with huge rewards, not the least of which is Pitt’s triumphant comeback. I’m disappointed that we’re not hearing more about this one during awards season, but maybe not as it opens in theaters audiences will discover it.
Day of the Fight is in select NY/LA theaters now, expanding on January 3rd.
