Featherweight

 Even the boxer with the most wins ever succumbed to post-career maladies, as shown by Willie Pep in Featherweight. Lingering shots of the boxer's retired eyes looking into the distance expose that his life is passing by and he has no say in it. Even the documentarians don't listen to any of his directions to cut various scenes, he can't even control the people simply observing his life. Behind his eyes we slowly begin to see the internal workings of his mind - he is still psychologically boxing. A feature of his signature style (evasion) is omnipresent throughout the film's duration. Until the climax, Pep is always metaphorically dodging punches and living in the shadows of his career. This slow paced movie also dives into a father's psychology through the simple reality of its shots. The natural camera shake and lingering scenes past their logical conclusion immerse us in the retired boxer's world. As the bleak lighting reflects off his darting beady eyes, we peer further into the insecurity of his psyche. Arguments lacking decisiveness and a hazy fog of characters who often lack narrative purpose mimic Pep's countless knckout-less fights. Pep the man and Pep the boxer are indistinguishable. He fundamentally changes this trait when he stops evading - taking his son to rehab and moving to Miami. It is difficult for us non-fighters to understand the life of fighters. Many athletes in all disciplines train their entire lives for a few moments in their juvenile spotlight, to only live a lost life afterwards. Fighters, however, train an instinct so basic to human existence that they are never quite the same afterwards. As their retirement life dredges on, so do feelings of impotency and insecurity. In many ways, the last knockout is a signal from life to Pep that he can evade no longer.