The Orlando Sentinel from Orlando, Florida • 103

OCTOBER 20-26, 2000 23 Orlando Sentinel Movies nn nn 04 II mm a REVIEW 'Girlfighf Cast Michelle Rodriguez, Santiago Douglas, Jaime Tirelli. Director Karyn Kusama. Running time: 1 hour, SO minutes. Industry rating: (restricted) for language. Reviewing key: Excellent Good Average Poor Awful Look beyond the Rocky comparisons: Michelle Rodriguez shines in this story of empowerment ByJAYBOYAR SENTINEL MOVIE CRITIC Diana Guzman the "girl" in Girlfight glowers at the world through the hairs of her eyebrows like a bull getting ready to charge.

Hopped up on unchanneled aggression, she gets into stupid, pointless fights at her Brooklyn nigh school, where she js practically friendless. At home, her father puts her down; as for her mother, don't even go there. So when Diana happens into a gym one day and sees the boxing ring, she knows in her heart that that is where she belongs. What she has been looking for all along, it turns out, is some place to knock the stuffing out of someone. Rough and raw, Girlfight is basically Rocky in drag.

And in case anyone should happen to miss the connection, Diana's boyfriend is named Adrian (which was also girlfriend's name), and there's a rap song on the soundtrack that mentions Rocky Balboa. The new film (which opens today) works for an audience in just about the same way that Rocfeydidtoo. You get caught up in the story of an underdog whose fight represents the triumph of an outsider. And the movie's ragged technique only makes JAMES BRIDGESSCREEN GEMS Kid gloves. A teen (Michelle Rodriguez) gets pointers from her boxing coach (Jaime Tirelli) in the ring.

impressive debut Yes, it's much too pat that the plot contrives to put Diana in the ring with main-squeeze Adrian (Santiago Douglas). Oh, well. I guess those are the gender wars foryou. But there are marvelous little moments in Girlfight, some of which are provided by Jaime Tirelli, who, as Diana's coach, gives a fine, craftsmanlike performance that brings to mind Al Pacino. I think my favorite moment in the film is when Marisol (Eli-sa Bocanegra), Diana's only female friend at school, gets wind of her boxing career.

"You got guys," exclaims Marisol, completely incredulous, "hitthV you in the face?" That's one question, of course, that would have gone entirely without asking in the case of Rocky Balboa. ile and, well, sexy. Like last year's Boys Don't Cry, Girlfight is an implicitly political movie about breaking down gender barriers. And like Boys Don't Cry, it has been rewarded with honors specifically, in the case of the new film, a shared grand-jury prize and, for filmmaker Karyn Kusama, a best-director award at the Sundance Film Festival. Kusama, a first-time writer-director, makes a few rookie mistakes.

But overall, this is an a film (except as an extra) or even boxed before Girlfight. That she's not a trained actress is obvious, but her presence is remarkable. You look at this young woman and totally believe that she has enough pent-up aggression to go the distance with anyone. Her boxing is convincing and so, surprisingly, are her love scenes: Possibly, her inexperience before the camera helped to make the romantic moments seem unusually frag that struggle seem that much more authentic and pure. In some ways, in fact, Diana has a tougher time of it than Rocky ever did.

When she asks her brother's boxing coach to help her train, he turns her down flat because she's a female. And even after he relents, Diana must wait for the official rules to change until she can box competitively against men. Michelle Rodriguez, who plays Diana, had never acted in "THE COOLEST AND FUNNIEST COMEDY OF THE YEAR!" 7( 4lOn 4uaOTfaiUlbUlJO HQ. HlNTtft PARK SHOWS AFTER 6PM ALL SEATS $5.00 p.ignr. 1:45 7:20 airaSOM MO 4: 7J) IfflMWWD 4:30 7:01 www.Udiesmanmovit.com MJWJHJJjBHS snaram uuuu NOW SHOWING! HIASUtt ISLAND LAKE HOWELL I TWof? MWiaHrR 11 Ml BtWSIlOII (FUJI 21 Ml UNIVERSITY I EST 0AK5 HI" TMfiTP HIGHLAND LANES 12 SB SO aw 'Yi CINEMA 1IUUMAOT NMTE ORLANDO OSCEOLA EAST 1SBMIE60ID2P3 4J RIKKnTPQ 4J M5 imus on im mom i am wM Sour, lata.

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