Bleed for This

‘Bleed for This” is a true retelling of a boxing champ who comes back from incredible odds to fight once more.  Vinny “The Pazmanian Devil” Pazienza, is a boxer from Rhode Island who becomes a local legend in the ring. After a terrible car crash, his neck is nearly broken and he is faced with a difficult road back to glory.

Vinny (Miles Teller) is a scrappy fighter in the ring, and he fought in the lowest weight division. His father Angelo (Ciarán Hinds) finds a new trainer in Kevin Rooney (Aaron Eckhart). Rooney brings Vinny into a better fitting Jr. Middleweight range, where Vinny wins the Championship.

Vinny is still very arrogant and strong-willed. He wants to do all things his way. But soon after the Championship fight, Vinny is in a near-fatal car accident. He suffers a severe neck injury that might make him paralyzed.

Rather then having a surgery to fuse his bones, Vinny instead chooses a HALO device. This immobilizes his head for many months with a large metal device screwed into his skull. His fierce nature and will to compete makes him still want to work out and train, even as his neck injury continues to heal.

His father and his mother (Katey Sagal) find out that Vinny continues to disobey the doctors and he wants to work out and become strong and to fight. His parents tell Rooney to leave Vinny alone. They finally understand that the Vinny will not be satisfied until he gets into the ring once more…

Lou Duva (Ted Levine) was Vinny’s old manager, and he wanted Vinny to retire even prior to his accident.  Lou is reluctant to find a new boxing match for Vinny, now that he is out of the HALO device. Too many other boxers refuse, because they are afraid that they could cause a permanent injury during a match.

But a new match is found, and Vinny is more than ready. He feels healed up, but he has not boxed for close to a year. A major opponent can either reinvigorate his career, or a loss can put him away forever. Not to mention, a bad blow to the head might cripple him…

Movies about boxing can be made interesting, given the idea of an underdog who faces off against a big-name fighter. Just see ‘Rocky’ to affirm that notion. But add to that, an underdog who is coming back from a major injury, and you add another wrinkle to the story line.

“Bleed for This” does a very good job with the dual track of underdog fighter tied to the impressive comeback story. Since this is all based a true story, it is even more impressive.  Miles Teller makes a strong central figure as Vinny Pazienza, a self-assured macho guy who loves the rounds in the ring.

Aaron Eckhart, who plays Kevin Rooney, gets into the role 100% and is almost unrecognizable. The same goes for Ted Levine (Lou Duva). These guys really get the look and feel of the mid -80’s boxing world down pat. Also Ciarán Hinds and Katey Sagal are very believable as Vinny’s parents, and show how he has so much support to pull him through.

Other than the terrible title of this movie, the story is a good one that few people know about. It is worthwhile to see the lengths that someone can go when they have the internal willpower to get back into the life that they love.