Matt Henley's cinematography is frequently stunning, whether he's filming someone streaking on the beach or two people beating the pulp out of each other in the boxing ring. An admiration, respect, and gratitude blossoms from Jim, who begins an honest friendship with Whetu that is divorced from all the testosterone-fueled expectations of Jim's normal relationships. When Whetu helps Jim one day at the beach, applying first aid to his jellyfish stings, Jim is introduced to the extremely cool beach shack that Whetu built by himself. Whetu keeps to himself and, despite his anger toward the world, has fundamentally learned how to enjoy his own company and be at peace with himself as he prepares to leave the small town for good. His testosterone is unleashed when he fights, but despite this and his social acceptance, he is a somewhat sensitive and more compassionate person than his peers.Įventually, he comes into the orbit of Whetu, an ostracized and angrily bullied teenager at their school. ![]() Jim is the stereotypical jock, the popular kid surrounded by lesser tiers of popular kids in a hierarchy of masculinity. Through a prosaic, patient first act, the film follows the young man as he trains, spends time with his friends and girlfriend, jogs on the beach, and argues with his father. Jim is preparing for his biggest fight yet, with Stan training him extensively in their makeshift gym attached to the house. Punch is set in a very small beach town in New Zealand where Jim lives alone with his father, Stan. The result is a poetic, sad, and moving little film about coming to terms with your own identity. The two men drift apart as Jim discovers new avenues of his own identity thanks to a new friend, Whetu (Conan Hayes). Played by Tim Roth, the character is a tragedy in motion. This was his father's plan Stan is his coach, but also a sullen alcoholic who is quietly but stubbornly persistent in his son's training. In it, Jim (Jordan Oosterhof) is a ferocious fighter in immaculate shape, sacrificing many facets of youth so that he can dedicate himself to boxing. ![]() This is the essential dilemma of Punch, a sensitive new film from New Zealand and the first feature-length film from director Welby Ings. ![]() What happens when you realize that you're a square peg in a round hole, and that everything you've been taught does not correlate with how you feel? Most people repress this and continue on as expected, fighting their identity, boxing the mirror while they live the life others expect them to. Imagine that your whole life has been conditioned and developed so that you'd become one specific type of person, who fits the mold that your family and environment want you to.
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