Reversal

Rating:
Summary: Wrestling for Your Life
Review: This film shows the director's wonderful feel for lighting, color, and sound. It creates a realistic world for a painful story. I found that the film reaches you on many levels, especially if you wrestled in high school or college.
As the actors/wrestlers had no camera experience I give them the benefit of the doubt with the acting. I believe that Danny Mousetis could have done with more then one word lines in some of the dialog. His girlfriend was great. The wrestlng action is worth watching. It is good stuff.
Several reviewers commented on the sexual discussions and alcohol use. I find those comments, while heartfelt, unrealistic and out of touch with reality. The dialog reflected the age and status of the young people well.
This is a solid film about more then wrestling. I recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: More than it seems...
Review: This film works on many different fronts. In one instance it can be viewed as a tribute to the sport of wrestling. It could also be seen as a cautionary tale about parents putting their own wishes over their childrens' needs. On a deeper level it brings to light issues about abuse, and the psychological trauma it leave on the victims. Critics and fans alike have praised this film for many different things, and many valid messages are expressed through this seemingly simple story about a high-school wrestler and his father/coach coming to terms with one another.

As other reviews have mentioned, the wrestling action is very authentic. By using real collegiate wrestlers (instead of actors pretending to wrestle) the matches show off the speed, intricacy, and awesome physical demands required of the sport.

The wrestling mindset is also heavily explored here, with mantras like "hard work always pays off" and "the world is better for winners", writer/producer/cast member Jimi Petulla details the mental aspects of motivation, desire, and focus in a sport which is so unsympathetic about dividing the winners from the losers. Petulla plays the main character's father, who after feeling emotionally deserted by his own father, seeks to build his own son into an undisputed winner and champion who will not suffer the same pitfalls and frustrations he has had to endure in life.

The cinematography highlighting a small Pennsylvania coal-mining town is beautifully done, and the natural dialog between the characters enhances the realistic setting of Anytown, USA. One gets the feeling that this same story has been played out countless times in small towns across the country, and will continue to repeat itself as long as fathers & sons & sports exist.

One complaint I had was with the unclear motivation of the main character's rival (who I belive is played by a national chamption at 119lbs.). In some scenes he appears to be a compassionate team-player, and other times he appears as a cold, calculating aggressor willing to trample on his teammates to fullfill his own agenda. Perhaps that duality was meant to show the struggle that some wrestlers have in switching on and off the competitiveness instilled within them. Aggression on the mat is to be tempered by being a gentleman and good citizen off the mat - this is something I think most wrestling coaches preach, and Petulla displays that wonderfully through pep-talks to his peewee wrestlers and his own son early on in the film.

I would have liked to see more of the wrestling action, but utimately this film is not about wrestling alone. Also, I would have liked to see the alternate ending make the final cut, however the quality of the film and its unconventional ending left me satisfied in a bittersweet way.

Rating:
Summary: A great movie for all
Review: This is an excellent potrayal of life in a small town although it could be anywhere USA. There is also no doubt in my mind that right now in families all across America there are fathers and sons who are living this story or something similar. This film is about a Dad who loves his son and wants only for him to do his best with what he has to work with and a son who loves his dad very much and want's to please him but has his own ideas about what he wants to do with his life. Some ads I've seen portray this as a wrestling movie and reviews of the movie by wrestlers seem to agree that some of the best amateur wrestling ever seen in movies is in this film. I have to agree. I gave this movie a 5. Tell you the truth I would have gone higher but 5 was as high as it goes.

Rating:
Summary: Building a champion
Review: This movie is about what a father wants for his son. The story is about life and death and building a champion. Anyone who has ever competed in any sport will be moved. The story is about sacrifice and denial and living life for yourself. The story is universal, real and accurate.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Father Son Love Story With Wrestling As A Backdrop
Review: To be honest, when I first saw this movie I wasn't expecting much and the truth is that I was blown away. This is certainly the best Independent film I have seen and would highly recommend it to anyone, especially those who have a desire to live their dreams through their children. The cinematography is tremendous, acting first class, and story exceptional. I reviewed the movie for a couple of web sites around a year ago, ...and loved it. The DVD is also an exceptional value with all of the extra features that have gone into it. I give the movie 5 deserving stars, it not only entertains, it provides value regards the development of parental relationships. Beware that not everyone in the movie is perfect, this is not a Disney family, it is a real family with real struggles and real problems. That is one of the beautiful things about the movie though. Most every parent will appreciate this movie. Whether they know the sport of wrestling or not can relate to the characters. In the tradition of Searching for Bobby Fisher and every bit as good, this movie will cause parents to ponder the relationship they have with their children. It goes a step further however in that it also provides insights for the children as to why their parents often drive them to the extent they do. This movie made it to my top 100 list of all time and will rank on my top 10 list for this last year. Enjoy it and learn from it...

Rating:
Summary: Hits Home
Review: Way, way realistic -
My boyffiend (now husband) wrestled in high-school. Watching this movie, I re-lived the competitions, and all of the emotions associated with the weight issue -- and all the family dynamics, too.

Highly recommended!