Review: Peter McCormack’s Facing Ali is a trick, a con, a slight of hand… whatever your phrase of choice, the point is this film pretends to be something it’s not. Admit it, you saw the title and thought, “this is about Muhammad Ali.” It’s ok, your assumption isn’t totally wrong; Ali is the central catalyst in the film, the driving force for the stories (A regular Willy Wonka). But, don’t be confused, this is not a documentary about one of the greatest boxers of all time, it’s about the men who faced him. Featuring a large and diverse cast of boxers, McCormack does a great job of highlighting the impact a boxing match had on each of their lives. For some, it was the end of their career, others witnessed the start of their career and for others it was just another fight (all be it, one they will never forget). Sure, every story centers around the boxing match with Ali, but what makes this such a great documentary is the additional stories they tell. You start to see these fighters not as “opponents of the greatest boxer of all time” but as individuals, men with personalities, passions, and problems. By the end you find your world a little bit broader. Admittedly, you don’t learn everything about these former boxers. Consider it more of a speed dating type of situation. There are so many personalities here the film would go on forever chronicling the biographies of each, so instead McCormack gives the audience a sampling of each. He teases you with their stories, illuminating their lives before hooking you back out again as the story progresses down Ali’s timeline. Of course, this focus on the “other fighters” falls apart towards the end. Despite finding a great ending, Facing Ali is a film that can’t avoid the temptation of honoring the great boxer with a cheesy tribute montage at the very end. There’s nothing wrong with honoring him, but it hinders an otherwise great tribute to the other men. It also limits the impact this film could have had on the viewer’s psyche. McCormack had almost made a documentary that honors the unknowns in sports: men who were not great athletes, great philanthropists or great at anything else, they were just ordinary. All of a sudden it seemed ok to be proud of them, not to pity them or ignore them. And yet, just as viewers were close to going back into other sports and investigating the stories of the not-so-successful, Facing Ali creates this tribute that sucks all the focus back on the great boxer. It’s a shame too. Up until that point, McCormack’s film successfully captured nostalgia for the ordinary- the soon to be forgotten. Review by Matthew Abshire Informative: 4- it really opens the door into the lives of the fighters, but you’ll need some background info to totally understand Entertainment: 4- it adds a human element to the wonderful world of boxing, how can you not be entertained? Technical: 4- great pacing and use of music brings the fighters’ stories to life Overall: 4- another great film centering around Muhammad Ali
 
Format: DVD Year: 2009 Running Time: 100 Min Distributor: Lionsgate Producer: Derik Murray Director: Peter McCormack Date Reviewed: 1-27-2009 Story: Ten great boxers describe the incredible experience of stepping into the ring with one of the greatest boxers of all time, Muhammad Ali. Some went the distance, while others fell in his wake. But all say that facing Ali transformed their lives. This documentary features interviews with Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Earnie Shavers, George Chuvalo and other talented fighters who discuss Ali's impact on their careers and on the sport (NetFlix).