When we think of senior citizens in film, we think of them as gentle, wise-cracking travelers of the world. They have lived their lives and don’t worry about futile endeavors. In a way, it almost feels like the best stereotype imaginable. In reality, they are just as flawed as people half their age with regrets to spare. In director Adam Simcox’s Kid Gloves, he explores a man’s life that hasn’t proved much to anyone, and especially himself. Almost serving as a bucket list, he goes back in for one more fight. Is the film able to turn its hero into more than an old crank?
Fred (Victor Ptak) was a boxer as a child who missed the chance to prove himself. Now in his autumn years, he works a lousy telemarketer job for a young obnoxious man named Johnny (Julian Shaw). It is a clash between old and new work ethics as he befriends a young, foul-mouthed coworker named Jess (Heather Nimmo) and a veteran Cuban boxer and trainer named Gus (Edmund Dehn). What is Fred’s big goal? Overcome his feeling of uselessness by fighting Johnny despite being decades out of shape.
What makes the tale immediately striking is how it presents Fred. He is a rebel who refuses to define himself by geriatric standards. He also has a lot of charisma as a character, managing to hold conversations without sounding stilted or clichéd. He feels like a real person, and even when he talks to significantly younger Jess, there is this sense of connection and realism. It brings out a humorous, warm tone that makes his plight more compelling. Even then, he is able to portray inner turmoil nicely through humorous transitions that don’t feel overly sentimental to derailing the initial story.
This helps because the story itself isn’t that complex. It manages to hit all of the familiar beats of an underdog tale and leaves everyone with a happy ending. Of course it is hard to make a boxing movie without recalling Rocky, which this unintentionally does through several montages and the relationship between Gus and Fred. The only difference is the overall goal of beating up your boss. No matter how old you are, this one element is the film’s essential element that creates a cathartic sense of joy. This is a story about finding strength, breaking stereotypes, and proving that being old doesn’t mean you’re weak. It just helps that these characters are likable enough to escape the more clichéd elements.
What really makes the film a compelling selection is Adam Simcox’s direction. Never settling for the typical camera angle, he shoots from almost every direction in several visual styles. While the majority of the film is in typical color, he does break out into black and white monologues and point of view fight scenes. There’s plenty of close-ups and more obscure, artistic shots that make the familiar conversations find new life. In the film’s most surprising move, it also features an allegory as told through puppetry. The minimalist approach is fascinating to watch and shows why this may be a familiar story, but Simcox is able to bring something new to it.
Kid Gloves is an entertaining film to watch largely thanks to the chemistry between Victor Ptak and the rest of the cast. Finding plenty of humor in the smallest interactions, this tale of proving yourself may not be new, but it definitely feels lively. It leaves a warm, uplifting feel that is largely thanks to the story’s heart. Adam Simcox also pumps life into it with brilliant artistic flares that complement the story by making the familiar montage feel new. It never overstays its welcome, and that may be the biggest achievement of this movie.
Comments
Post a Comment