Facing Ali DVD Review

Published by Jeff Leins on: December 28th, 2009

James Toback’s candid interview with “Iron” Mike Tyson may have missed the short list of 15 films vying for the Academy’s “Best Documentary,” but another boxing movie is a contender as the field narrows in a little over a month.

Out on DVD Tuesday (Dec. 29), Facing Ali recalls the career of Cassius Clay, better known as the self-proclaimed greatest boxer of all-time, Muhammad Ali.  Ten fighters who faced the man, from George Foreman to Joe Frazier and Leon Spinks to Ken Norton, reminisce on his ring persona and the key bouts that changed their lives.

No former fighter is more open than George Chuvalo, who helps piece together the portrait of a powerful athlete and controversial figure.  He recalls the famous taunts that earned Ali the nickname “the Mouth from the South,” the religious and political stands during a turbulent time, and of course the contests that shaped the sport in its prime.

Each boxer chronologically, confidently recounts their respective bouts with the man, offering excuses for a loss or boasts of a beat down, but as the film slows to its closing every fighter shows a certain level of reverence to the ailing Ali.  Most admit he was the greatest fighter who ever lived, while the rest acknowledge the influence he had not just on the sport of boxing, but the impact he made on the world as a public figure.

Joe Frazier, who allowed two of his four career losses to Ali, regards him with tears in his eyes.  Larry Holmes idolized Ali even after sending him into retirement in 1980.  Others pay tribute in their own way.

As the men address and shadowbox the camera, it’s clear the sport has taken its physical toll on their battered faces and rattled brains, but stock footage near the end of an older Ali and the somber tone of his rivals are solemn reminders of the champ’s current condition.  The once dominant heavyweight is ravaged by Parkinson’s, presumably from the professional poundings of his 20-year career.

Like going twelve rounds with a heavyweight, the film opens with a flurry, immediately jabbing with Ali quotes and humor, but as the saga continues the energy fades.  The doc detours to the humble beginnings of each fighter, which frays the focus around the edges and subtracts from the core strategy of honoring Ali.

Pete McCormack’s slick film is a great way to remember “The Greatest” and a must see for fight fans, but Facing Ali lacks the fighter’s iconic flair that may have elevated this to something more than a first-person look at boxing history.

3.5 out of 5.

Special features:
Animated Trivia Cards
“After the Bell” Featurette
“Bringing the Fights to Life” Featurette: a making of discussion with the filmmakers
“Facing Ali: Book to Screen” Featurette: how Stephen Brunt’s novel became the documentary