Down, But Not Out is a Polish documentary film by Miguel Gaudencio, starring Monika Agustowics, Alicja Cichewics, Agnieszka Cytarzynska, Anna Pazdur-czarnowska and Przemyslaw Rydynski.
A boxing team comprising of guys and girls arrive at a hostel in Poland, and register for a tournament. In the semi-finals the guys compete first, however they lose. When it’s the time for womens team to compete, the opponent retires suddenly, and the girls decide to compete amongst themselves in the team. Who will win? Watch it to know.
Though the film is intriguing from the start it fails to keep you hooked throughout.
The film follows four amateur boxing contestants and their trainer as they participate in a tournament. Though the film is intriguing from the start it fails to keep you hooked throughout.
The black and white feel disrupts the look at times, and it’s not clear at times whether it’s day or night. Even the sports costume seemed the same of every fighter, and it was sometimes difficult to ascertain who is who, especially since the subtitles were missing at times, and the names were tough to catch in the polish accent. Audio also didn’t sound clear at places, and the guerrilla style footage with shaky cameras adds to the confusion.
Audio also didn’t sound clear at places, and the guerrilla style footage with shaky cameras adds to the confusion.
The documentary sort of plunges into the film, leaving the viewer to figure out details himself, like place, time, the interactions between people and their significance. The linear narration has helped in keeping the film from being slightly confusing, as for somebody who doesn’t know much about boxing the film might appear to be in shambles. Some variations in the cinematography like no camera shakes and tasteful close-ups might have made it more appealing added some punch in places like the fight sequences.
Thumbs up to the background score. The visuals mash well with the music and it helps in keeping the tension that is so important in a sports film running throughout the film. We forget sometimes that success in this field constitutes the combined efforts of the sportsperson as well his trainer. A coach is as integral to a sport as the person pursuing it, perhaps more so, and this documentary highlights that. There are many instances where the coach in the film is shown advising the trainees and it was interesting to see his role when the girls are forced to compete amongst themselves. A little over 70 minutes, what this documentary lacks in techniques, it makes up for it in realism and no drama approach providing an interesting window to the Polish boxing scene and the culture surrounding it.
A little over 70 minutes, what this documentary lacks in techniques, it makes up for it in realism and no drama approach providing an interesting window to the Polish boxing scene and the culture surrounding it.
