149. Journeyman; movie review

JOURNEYMAN
Cert 15
92 mins
BBFC advice: Contains strong boxing violence, infrequent strong sex

One of my great disappointments as senior executive with the Derby Telegraph and Burton Mail was that we consistently failed to secure an interview with a local hero of cinema.
Bizarrely, Paddy Considine's people said that he was afraid of meeting the media because of a medical condition.
I choose not to reveal exactly what they said because I have nothing but my memory to back it up but what they suggested hardly fits with the eloquent manner in which he has handled chats with the media ahead of the release of the excellent Journeyman.
I had been hoping that Considine would direct a second film since he was at the helm of the superb Tyrannosaur in 2012.
The long interval since then had made me wonder whether either he or film studios had a desire for a repeat.
Mrs W and I were very thankful they did during a rare visit to the excellent Broadway cinema in Nottingham to see a movie with a powerful punch and an emotional pull.
Considine plays Matty Burton, a veteran boxer who has become world champion in controversial circumstances.
Thus, he wants to go ahead with just one defence to prove that he is the legitimate belt-holder.
For the championship bout he comes up against a mouthy opponent (Anthony Welsh) who repeats that the fight is going to be a 'life-changer'.
His comments turn out to be prophetic and Burton suffers a catastrophic brain injury which means his memory and over faculties are badly impaired.
This has devastating fall-out on his relationship with his wife (Jodie Whittaker) and baby daughter.
Considine and Whitaker are excellent on the lead roles, incredibly convincing as two devoted people trying to come to terms with a desperately difficult new life.
Indeed, their performances are so good that tears were rolling down my cheeks during a deeply emotional denouement.
However, while elements of Journeyman are entirely convincing, it loses marks for a couple of short circuits.
For example, the timeline around Burton's recovery is far too quick and the lack of support for a world champion in the immediate aftermath of his injury seems unlikely.
Nevertheless, Considine's movie is riveting, putting forward arguments both against and in favour of boxing while also examining the devastating fall-out of a head injury on a young family.
In common with Tyrannosaur, it deserves so many more plaudits than it has received.

Reasons to watch: Powerful subject with heart-rending performances
Reasons to avoid: the boxing violence is tough

Laughs: None
Jumps: Two
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 8.5/10

Director quote - Paddy Considine: "If you are going to explore the terrain of boxing in movie terms, you want to tell s story which hasn't been told before."

The big question - Will boxing ever be banned?

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