CriticSociety- film reviews

Review

Girlfight

Director

Karyn Kusama

Year

2000

Rating

Reviewed by

a.k.a. Jacinda

Review date

Saturday, March 10, 2001

Girlfight caught my eye from the very beginning. Diana Guzman (incredibly compelling: Michelle Rodriguez), a Latin girl, lives in poor circumstances with no aspirations whatsoever. She does poorly in school and unlike the "normal" girls she doesn’t want to talk about lipsticks and diets. Diana rather uses her fists to settle disagreements and finds herself in trouble again and again. When she enters the boxing hall in which her brother is training she somehow is captivated by this powerful sport and starts fighting for her right to train even though she is "just a girl." The viewer finds out that Diana has to deal with her mother’s suicide, a father that does not care about what she is doing and a brother that is not tough enough for this part of the world. Boxing becomes a channel for Diana’s aggressions and she soon finds herself in love with a boxer that begins evolving feelings for this unusual girl. As her boxing skills improve she wins fight after fight but her opponent in the final round of the championship is nobody else but her boyfriend.

This movie is so much more than a sports movie. It’s about a girl becoming a woman. It’s about realizing how tough life can be. It’s about using skills that others only see as weakness to gain the strength you need to survive. To be honest I could identify with Diana perfectly. She feels that all those thin, arrogant girlies are phony and shallow. She speaks her mind no matter what – even if it gets her nothing but trouble. I know what it feels like not to match the stereotype of a girl. A woman that says what she thinks is considered a bitch. Mainly this seems to be the reason why I get along with boys better than with girls, just like Diana who feels attracted to the domain of men, the boxing ring. Although Diana’s life seems to be a dead-end with no direction her power and strength keep her going.

Diana hardly shows any weaknesses as we only get a glimpse of her feelings and dreams when she talks to her coach (Jaime Tirelli) who becomes a substitute for her father and her boyfriend Adrian (Santiago Douglas). Girlfight is the constant struggle of a misunderstood girl that turns into a self-determined woman. By the end of the movie you understand Diana's motivation perfectly. The only thing that she ever wanted was to be respected as the person that she is. You can tell Diana has found this respect when she cries – the only time that she actually behaves like a girl. There's a lot of truth in this movie and the documentary style pays tribute to this realism.

Girlfight is a complex movie that deals with social matters on a personal level. Michelle Rodriguez' intense performance will remain unforgettable. "Champions are made, not born."

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