Reviews

The Fire Inside seems like it’s going to be a conventional sports biopic at first – but then it takes you to a place you wouldn’t expect.

Rachel Morrison’s directorial debut stars Ryan Destiny as Claressa ‘T-Rex’ Shields, one of the greatest female boxers of all time.

The film charts her origin story, from her humble beginnings as a teenager in Flint, Michigan to her history-making wins at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympics.

Sports biopics typically end with the climactic win, but Shields’s success at the first Olympics happens in the middle of the film. This is a refreshing change as the story felt rather average and formulaic up until that point.

However, the post-win story is really surprising and interesting. Being the first American woman to win gold in boxing, you’d expect Shields to be showered in sponsorships and endorsements and raking in the cash. But nothing changes and she’s in the same position she was before.

It’s rare to see that side of the story shown on screen so this aspect is more compelling than the first half. It’s also infuriating to see Shields not getting what she deserves because she excels in a traditionally male sport.

Destiny is physically and emotionally impressive as Shields, who has a lot of difficulties in her home life to overcome in addition to her boxing training. She puts up a hard exterior and is very stubborn but we see glimpses of vulnerability too.

Her bond with Brian Tyree Henry as her coach and secondary father figure Jason Crutchfield is one of the highlights of the film. They have excellent father-daughter chemistry and he knows how to coach her and care for her better than anyone else. But, like family, they also known how to push each other’s buttons, which is best exemplified with a gratifying argument scene.

The Fire Inside is a by-the-numbers sports movie until halfway, when it offers us a fresh and unusual perspective on the typical winner’s story.

In cinemas from Friday 7th February.

By Hannah Wales.

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