This movie is weird. Not in any cinematic sense. It’s pretty normal in terms of story, acting, and direction. It’s only notable in that sense Halle Berry directed it (her feature film debut). It’s weird because of Halle Berry in the lead role. First of all, she’s not the first person to come to mind as an MMA fighter. I mean, she is tough. She’s been Storm, Catwoman, and a Bond Girl. She’s not a close-fisted punching type though. Secondly, she was 53 when she filmed this. I did a quick Google search and the oldest female UFC fighter* is 43 years old. Berry has a 6-year-old kid in this. It was shortly after she gave him up that her character had a panic attack in her big break fight (which I believe was for UFC), putting her at roughly 47. That’s all implausibly old. However, Halle Berry is so well-preserved that you could tell me she’s playing virtually any age. It sort of breaks my brain though. You cast Halle Berry because of how young she looks yet she’s playing a washed up fighter. So it’s like you are casting a 53-year-old to play a 33-year-old passing for a 43-year-old. I know I get too fixated on ages in movies sometimes, but this one really shook me.
*I know UFC and MMA aren’t exactly the same, but it’s a decent analog.
This movie is OK. It stacked a few too many storylines. She’s an alcoholic with an abusive boyfriend and a long-lost son returning while she’s making her comeback as an MMA fighter. She’s battling panic attacks, has a fractured relationship with her mother, was abused as a child, and has a relationship with her female trainer. It was so much that it made the movie feel longer. I know my beloved Warrior is even longer than this, but that movie is organized to feel shorter. First half is setup. Second half is fights. With Bruised though, I lost track of which story was even supposed to mean the most.
This is the best Berry has been in a while. It’s a good role to remind other filmmakers that she’s still around. The main thing I can say about her direction is that it felt pretty invisible. Had I not known it was her directing, I never would’ve thought about it. I would’ve preferred the 1h45m version of this with half the trauma. Any two complications would’ve been plenty for a movie. Having 6-7 overwhelmed.
Verdict: Weakly Don’t Recommend
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