‘Unstoppable’ movie review: Anthony Robles biopic finds rhythm after false start

A mainstream genre film that attempts to remain relevant while reinventing traditional storytelling techniques and tropes has the potential to become a popular, memorable icon of its era. This doesn’t come from a complete disregard for these technologies, but from an understanding of why they exist in the first place. Now, what does it really take for a mainstream filmmaker to master the rules of playing with their structures and learn how to break them? I asked myself this while watching William Goldenberg’s new sports drama.

It’s a linear, against-all-odds biopic that proves, both on its own merits and otherwise, why a continued understanding of popular genre is necessary for films to become edifices of their era. On the one hand, the film refuses to reinvent its form, and on the other, it demonstrates what made great sports dramas rocky stand the test of time.

Let’s talk about how screenwriters Eric Champanella, Alex Harris, and John Hindman take us into the world of Anthony Robles (Jharrel Jerome), a wrestling prodigy from Mesa, Philadelphia, who was born with one leg. In keeping with brevity, they don’t waste any space, but talk about how this wrestler looks at Robles’ dream alma mater, Iowa head wrestling coach Tom Brand and the school’s wrestling pride Matt McDonough. This is ideal for what happens next, but playing devil’s advocate, the way the opening plays out shows almost everything wrong with the movie.

A scene from ‘Unstoppable’ Photo Credit: Anacarbalosa

For about 30 minutes, stop It has the feel of some old-world YouTube motivational video with some heavy-handed, flowery quotes in the background. A straightforward shot, panning from toes to torso, introduces us to Robles. While doing push-ups on the floor, he watches a television interview of Brand and McDonough, revealing their secrets to success. The camera then pans to his medals, a series of his single-pair shoes, and a poster of Rocky above them.

Of course, this is the story of a spirited, disciplined sportsman named Young, who was born with one leg, living with his struggling mother, the terror of his wife-beating stepfather, and his four young children. It’s expected to have a certain uplifting, aspirational quality. but the tone stop Tech is nonsense and vulgar theatrics. It’s more WWE (“It is,” Robles says at one point). [WWE] Not even realer than the real deal”). Details are spoon-fed, and it gets even worse from here.

How do we know what kind of equation he shares with his stepfather, Rich Robles (Bobby Cannavale)? Macho face-offs around the dinner table often begin with Anthony calling out a pissing contest to declare him a “real man.” How do we know how Anthony feels about his high school coach Bobby Williams (Michael Pena)? “I wouldn’t be here without her,” he tells us early on. Such is the case with Judy Robles (Jennifer Lopez), who is struggling with her toxic marriage, shown with a pedestrian double take on her tendency to forgive unforgivable people.

Sure, there’s zero room to play around with the facts when it comes to adaptations (the film is adapted from Robles’s autobiography of the same name), but the point of concern here is the straightforward screenplay – a stale treatment, and Uninspired staging of scenes. In two scenes, Robles climbs the art museum’s iconic staircase, and perhaps the homage to Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky was important to Philadelphia homeboy Robles, but except for the poster in his room, it’s completely irrelevant. Big story.

On more than one occasion, the film seems short-sighted in its narrative efficacy. The film wants to put us in Robles’ shoes as he struggles to make a life-changing decision – whether it’s going to Drexel University’s fully sponsored wrestling program or choosing another expensive college with highly competitive selection criteria. yes. Even those unfamiliar with the actual story may raise an eyebrow at how it plays out, but then the film eases any tension with a detailed scene with a coach who tells Robles to take the safer option. Celebrates for. Perhaps, a scene or two featuring similar coaches from other colleges could have increased the anticipation.

stop After Robles chooses his path he retreats and Don Cheadle’s Shawn Charles, a new coach, arrives on the scene. How the young wrestler deals with domestic issues and attempts to turn the odds against him throughout his college wrestling season shows the real potential of the story. A sequence involving a hike on the Phoenix Mountains, or a scene inside Charles’s office are spectacular, and the competitively choreographed wrestling scenes are also fantastic, but what impresses you most is the peripheral arc and Family drama (a major one being Lopez, who is excellent as a woman struggling to juggle her many roles).

Most sports dramas these days suffer from a lack of inspiration to re-invent the ideals of the genre. There is less scope in a biopic, but what is non-existent? The overall structure may not need to be reworked (there’s no point in guessing which match Robles wins or loses) but the moments in between could have made it perfect. In short, a truly ambitious film would attempt to invent a language to tell a story that millions of people are already familiar with. Take the dialogue writing, for example – most of the pep talks Robles gets from Williams sound like pick-me-up quotes you might find on a Google search. Except “Your biggest rival? No one will ever stand before you on the mat” from Charles, and nothing lasts.

In one of the better scenes, with a compelling performance, Judy shows Anthony a box of fan letters. This is going to make you cry. It’s organic, relevant and surprisingly determines what’s to follow. These are the moments that make you wonder what the script could have been like if it had gone through a few more drafts.

Unstoppable is currently streaming on Prime Video