NinadeL

This is a genre within a genre. A courtroom drama between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. They met professionally during the filming of The Rum Diary (2011), were married from 2015-2017, and the rest is history. Depp's hardcore fans will never admit anything that could tarnish their image of him, their cult idol who has been with us for 4 decades. Heard has always been a small fish next to him, one of many of his partners, so no one expected that the potential breakup of their relationship could have such a bitter aftermath. But it happened, it's a separate topic, a whole series of documentaries are being made, books are coming out, and the tabloids have thoroughly enjoyed it, so I expect a feature film adaptation eventually. Because if Hollywood knows how to do anything, it's to exploit scandals to the core. It was like this 100 years ago in the Roscoe Arbuckle case, and nothing has changed.

Muhammad Ali (1942–2016) was the 16th heavyweight boxing world champion, but by his time, the original idea was already there, as Jack Dempsey first fulfilled it. The story of this champion is full of activism, racism, and politics. In his career, not even the black bomber Joe Louis was important anymore, but rather the endless strife to regain the title. Will Smith surpassed himself here, but considering the complexity of the whole life story, I must conclude that the resulting film is only a superficial work.

Rocky Marciano (1923-1969) was the son of Italian immigrants, shaped by the legendary boxing match between Louis and Schmeling in 1938. He became the 11th heavyweight boxing world champion shortly after defeating his childhood hero Louis and subsequently Joe Walcott. This film is great because it's not just about the classic formula of a poor kid becoming a champion; it tells the whole story of frustration from poverty, respect in a brutal sport where life was at stake even then, and most importantly, it portrays the fates of boxers who didn't fare well in their old age. Joe Louis had to step back after years of glory and returned to being just a poor black man; lightweight champion Lou Ambers also didn't end up well. Jon Favreau surprisingly delivers a great performance in the lead role. Moreover, thanks to him, it's confirmed how closely the stories of classic boxers and comic book superheroes resonate with each other.