It has been said by many authors that it is best to write about what you know. It lends an air of authenticity to a story. In the case of Frank Clarkethis is the city of Liverpool and its inhabitants. For his third big screen writing credit, and his first as a director, he stayed with the familiar landscape of the city and the singular talent that is Margi Clarke.
Ronnie (Margi Clarke) was pretty much destined to be a fighter. Her mother gave birth to her after going into labour at a local market while her father was taking part in an illegal boxing match. It set her up for a hard life. Now an adult she has let her stubborn streak get the better of her once too often and finds herself estranged from her children while in jail. She manages to break out, collect her youngest child, and head to New York in search of her father who abandoned her and her mother years before. What she finds there is not what she expected. Her father is not the success he claimed to be. In order to earn some cash Ronnie turns to the lucrative world of female boxing.
The film gives a real sense of the times. Liverpool had been hit hard by the down turn in traditional industries in the 1980’s leading to mass unemployment and changes to the social landscape. Ronnie is a product of this. Married to an habitual criminal who has left her for a younger woman she has to shoplift to make ends meet. Conflict is an everyday fact of life and the main skill that Ronnie possess is in her fists. She has been taught well by her father to look after herself.
Margi Clarke’s performance is at the centre of the drama. She is equal parts headstrong and confused. The public face is the hard nosed, confrontational woman who can be relied on to sort out any issue. In private she is an emotional wreck. She wants and needs her husband but knows he is a terrible person who will continue to let her down. Clarke is able to switch between these aspects of her character convincingly. You get a real sense of the weariness that fills her and her struggles to get ahead.
The fight scenes are one of the highlights of the film. Clarke is not a natural boxer. She looks like she can handle herself but there is nothing professional or trained about her style. it is awkward and yet realistic. It is how someone without guidance would approach the sport. A bit rough in terms of technique but it looks convincing.
The other highlight is the cast of supporting characters. There is a number of people who Ronnie interacts with who contribute to the film in their own way while passing comment about the state of the times and the city of Liverpool. Each of them has something to offer in terms of the film. They are all well written and feel like they have back stories rather than being there as a plot device or a source of expositional dialogue.
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