Told with breathtaking style and depth filled emotion, In Full Bloom takes the boxing film to artistic heights not explored before, without sacrificing the action-packed stakes in and out of the ring.
Like a right cross out of nowhere, In Full Bloom is sure to surprise many who approach it thinking it’s “just another boxing movie”. Directed, written, and produced by Reza Ghassemi and Adam VillaSenor (their feature debut), In Full Bloom is not only a contender for action movie of 2020, but elevates the boxing film into the echelons of high art, without the pretentious air of such a label. With a philosophical and emotional depth that hits as hard as its thunderous fight scenes, this boxing film by the way of Terrence Malick (Tree of Life) meets Yimou Zhang (House of Flying Daggers) rockets up the pound-for-pound ranks of the best boxing films.
Set after WWII, In Full Bloom focuses on a boxing bout between undefeated Japanese champion Masahiro (Yusuke Ogasawara) and struggling American challenger Clint Sullivan (Tyler Wood). Outside the obvious political tensions, factors internal and external threaten to derail the Tokyo-set fight, such as pressure from the Yakuza for Clint to take the fall.
Of first glance is the visual mastery In Full Bloom employs. Ghassemi and VillaSenor also take on cinematography and editing duties and deliver astounding work in the process, as lush visuals fill the screen, transitioning from snow driven forests, to high-grass battlefields of the Pacific, and black and white dream sequences with impressive and striking detail. Even scenes in a dank boxing gym locker room are presented as a playground of colour and shadow.
Adding much substance to the films style are the depictions of the lead characters, warriors who must first fight their own demons before trading punches in the ring.
For Masahiro that demon is the form of ego, as the cocky fighter seeks to rid himself of the self-pride that will be his downfall in a battle that represents once warring countries, as much as it does the fighters. To do so Masahiro seeks the training of Tetsuro (Hiroyuki Watanabe), a legendary fighter turned recluse in a remote, snow driven cabin. There Masahiro undergoes unconventional training that tests his limits as a fighter, while also absorbing Tetsuro’s lessons of wisdom that are dispatched with calm clarity.
Sullivan has his own fight with self-doubt, as those around him, including his wife Geneviee (Stefanie Estes) and slimeball manager Silas (S. Scott McCracken), urge him to take the fall. Yet Sullivan, with his self-respect in check and faith in God stronger than ever, is steadfast. There is a beast inside him, and its hungry.
It all culminates in a slugfest that is a sight to behold, as East vs West square off in a blackened arena, trading punches that hit like baseball bats against a carcass, all rib cracking and flesh splitting violence.
The real hits though are of the emotional, philosophical, and spiritual kind that life ploughs down upon us at any given moment. Ghassemi and VillaSneor depict the tenacity of a warriors spirit to withstand the fury and rise above, resulting in a boxing movie of mesmerising artistry, with a depth that is profound and stirring.
