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Strength and Honour (2007)
Director: Mark Mahon
Movie review
From Time Out Chicago
With a boxer-makes-comeback plot so sappy it’d make Rocky Balboa blush, Strength is best enjoyed as a series of bouts for the title of Least Convincing Irishman. As mournful, recently widowed ex-boxer Sean, Chicago-born Madsen employs a strategy of squinting a lot and growling every line. Californian Chamberlain brings a lilting sing-song and a twinklin’ eye to Sean’s old trainer. Madsen wins that round. When Sean’s son (Whelton) needs an expensive heart operation, the reluctant fighter gets back in the ring to raise cash, and faces brutal bare-knuckle champ Smasher O’Driscoll (Englishman Jones, whose portrayal of a grimacing, gesticulating Oirish lout could set back Irish-English relations a decade). Jones takes the Hambone title in three rounds. As for who wins the match in the story, we’ll let you guess.Author: Hank Sartin
Time Out Chicago Issue 145: December 6–12, 2007
Cast & crew
Director: Mark Mahon
Cast: Michael Madsen, Vinnie Jones, Richard Chamberlain, Luke Whelton, Patrick Bergen full cast
Rated: R
Duration: 104 mins
US Release: Dec 7 2007
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