IFC Films
There is an old problem about portraying violence on screen, that because of the nature of film and the medium, it’s always somewhat glorifying it. But it’s also tricky thematically because pop culture has instilled in us strong desires for ‘justice’, violence responded with violence, despite how in real life things are rarely so simple. We see an abusive parent, for example, and sure, we want to see them get punched out or dismantled, but does that really solve anything? It’s a difficult line to walk.
Embattled comes from director Nick Sarkisov and writer David McKenna, starring Stephen Dorf as Cash, a middle aged MMA champion, tough and gruff. At first he seems just like a typical sort of this person, although hints of other things creep in, and then become explicit. He is sexist, racist, and violent, even outside the ring.
He is also estranged from his ex-wife Susan (Elizabeth Reaser) and two sons from that marriage for reasons that become very clear eventually. The older son is a senior in high school, just past eighteen, named Jett Boykins (Darren Mann), and he has his own desire to become a new fighting contender. His brother is Quinn, a special needs high schooler with Williams Syndrome (he’s played by Colin McKenna, the son of the screenwriter).
Cash definitely wants nothing to do with any one of them, but this shifts when Jett asks for help training. So far, so good, but hints and long forgotten memories begin to flash in Jett’s mind, as he starts to remember the true reason his father left them. And it’s far worse than his current fuzzy memories thought.
Eventually it comes down to a situation where things must be handled in a ring, and it’s easy to root against the villain. But this is a sort of problematic perspective, and the characters often feel fairly thin at times, and other times a bit muddled. A side plot where Cash is trying to unionize feels half-baked, for example, and there are hints of Jett’s initial academic troubles that don’t really go anywhere.
Thankfully the direction is pretty decent, grabbing you quickly and helping connect with the characters, although it’s a bit confusing at first because the movie doesn’t know how to show Cash at first. Stephen Dorff channels the worst sort of abusive parent in his portrayal of Cash, in a pretty great character study, and it’s nice to see a realistic portrayal of special needs teens with Quinn and his pals.
Darren Mann handles a lot of complicated moments here, complex emotional range and highly difficult physical pieces. The actual fight scenes are shot and acted very well, and if they’re done with stunt people, I couldn’t tell. I certainly felt that tension in those final fight moments, and it was pretty clear that the movie was painting a pretty good message — that these abusive parents can cause a cycle to continue and that the only way to break it is to simply be good with the family.
It’s an odd sort of movie in some ways, because it’s sort of ramping itself up to be a big sports thing, but it’s ultimately all about pain and trying to overcome an abusive upbringing. Big ideas, ones that don’t always pay off, but a pretty decent effort at it.
Planning to see Embattled? Click on the image below to see the movie, and be sure to come back and tell us what you thought!
Embattled has a run time of 1 hour 57 minutes and is rated R for pervasive strong language and crude sexual references, violence and some nudity.
IFC Films
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