Girlfight: Gender-Blind Boxing

Don't expect anyone from Dawson's Creek to be moonlighting in Girlfight, the latest coming-of-age teenage tale, starring newcomer Michelle Rodriguez. Wearing army fatigues and sweats instead of the requisite cleavage bearing tank top, Rodriguez delivers a mesmerizing and fiery performance, not to mention a mean left-hook. As Diana, a troubled teen from Red Hook, a rough Brooklyn neighborhood, Rodriguez finds her salvation in the predominantly male world of amateur boxing. Capitalizing on this world of precise grace and raw aggression, Director Karyn Kusama throws sexual stereotypes and cinematic genres into the ring, creating a match I can't help but cheer loudly for. Audiences at this year's Sundance Film Festival couldn't either; Girlfight is co-winner of the Grand Jury Prize at this prestigious independent film festival.

Like many indie films, Girlfight works primarily as a character driven piece. For example, Diana's love interest and fellow boxer, Adrian, played by Santiago Douglas, must be the most attractive guy I have seen on the big screen in a long time. No, I don't mean he's hot in that Ryan Phillippe kind of way. A perfect blend of testosterone and fragility, Adrian easily wins Diana's heart; so what if she can kick his ass in the ring?

Their love story underscores the Rocky-esque atmosphere of the film, imparting it with that coveted action-film and chick flick dynamic. But unlike Gladiator or Braveheart, the protagonist, refreshingly, does not have a Y chromosome. She owns her unmistakable femininity and her bulging biceps equally, discovering what it means to be a modern woman, and, more importantly, what it means to be herself.

Like Diana, the movie refuses to be confined by traditional definitions. With its charged brawls and minimalist cinematography, Girlfight is as much Jerry Springer as it is artsy indie flick. And while Diana's high school friends don't exactly look as saccharine as the Clueless chicks, Girlfight's youthful cast and plot often veer into teenybopper territory. Ultimately, however, Diana trades her sassy catfights for the more sophisticated gender-blind featherweight boxing circuit. Her subsequent struggle to be accepted by both the all-male boxing club and by her own father allows the film an emotional depth that strikes a chord with viewers who graduated long before high school involved metal detectors.

Some elements do feel forced and clich, such as Tiny, Diana's brother played by Ray Santiago, who is stuck taking boxing lessons when he'd rather be designing fashions. Yet, for the most part Kusama avoids many of the tired conventions of the genres this film invokes. Unlike, say, She's All That, Diana's transformation from an offensive and frightening bitch into a beautiful and self-assured woman does not involve suddenly putting on lipstick and high heels. Instead, the way she manipulates her dark, piercing eyes, which are emphasized throughout the film, does the trick. And although I refuse to buy that Diana and her imposing boyfriend would be boxing in the same weight class, Diana's fight scenes with him and others thankfully skip the gratuitous melodrama plaguing many of the battles in typical action films.

However, there are a few gratuitous shots of toned men with their shirts off. Perhaps this acts as a subtle reminder that the director is female. Furthermore, one could rightly argue that many women, including ardent feminists, would easily relate to Diana's plight. But men, don't get the wrong idea here; this is not a film that is trying to win the Gloria Steinem seal of approval. Women are not objectified, the prettiest girl loses, and there aren't raunchy sex scenes, but there is so much passion and personality that it doesn't matter (oh, and there is this one girl-on-girl boxing match that you'll either find quite disturbing or a big turn-on). When I told a friend that I was going to see this movie, he remarked, "Girlfight - that sounds HOT!" Indeed, it is.