Film

What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases

Search cinema listings

Browse cinemas A-Z

Search 20,000 reviews

 

Tyson (2008)

Director: James Toback

3

Time Out rating

Average user rating
1 review

Movie review

From Time Out London

Mike Tyson is in a reflective – even tearful – mood in this documentary made by his friend James Toback, in whose ‘Black and White’ the boxer appeared in 1999. You could describe the film, which marries archive footage with a new interview with Tyson, as a ghost-written autobiography expressed with a post-analysis tone –  a tone that may or may not be linked to the fact that Tyson spoke to Toback soon after he left rehab.

Tyson is the film’s sole voice and he talks freely through the good and bad times, from a criminal childhood in Brooklyn to the messy end of his career, via the death of his elderly trainer Cus D’Amato, his failed marriage to Robin Givens and his conviction for rape. He comes across as mellow and apologetic but reserves anger for the woman he was accused of raping (‘a wretched swine of a woman’) and Don King (‘a slimy, reptilian motherfucker’). Toback steers Tyson through every triumph and disaster you want to hear about, never pretending that the platform belongs to anyone but the man they used to call Iron Mike.

Author: Dave Calhoun 2009-03-24 10:11:52

Time Out London Issue 2014, March 26 – April 1, 2009


  • Print this page
  • Send to a friend

User reviews of this film

  • JW said...
    Posted on Apr 17 2009 15:14 This is actually a much more interesting, moving and funny film than Calhoun's review suggests. Very well put together and not just for sports fans
    Report as inappropriate

What do you think?
Post your review now

clear rating
Min 1 star. Zero stars will be treated as unrated.

*mandatory fields


Cast & crew

Director: James Toback

Cast: Mike Tyson

Genre(s): Documentaries

Rated: 15

Duration: 90 mins

UK Release: Mar 27 2009
US Release: Apr 24 2009




Top Stories

Time Out's 50 greatest monster movies

Time Out's 50 greatest monster movies

As Joe Johnston’s long-awaited reinvention of Universal’s howl-at-the-moon classic ‘The Wolfman’ hits cinemas, Time Out lists our 50 favourite cinematic stalkers, growlers, slashers and biters.

Mark Kermode: A life in film

Mark Kermode: A life in film

Dave Calhoun chats to Britain's most outspoken film critic and pundit ahead of the release of his memoirs

Has Ricky Gervais gone all serious?

Has Ricky Gervais gone all serious?

The trailer to 'Cemetery Junction' suggests that its writer-director is suppressing his funny bone.

The genius of Roman Polanski

The genius of Roman Polanski

Ahead of his new film, 'The Ghost', we must forget the media circus and remember the artist pleads Wally Hammond

Oscars 2010: The nominees

Oscars 2010: The nominees

Tom Huddleston offers his acute analysis on the list of nominees for the 2010 Academy Awards

Rotterdam 2010: Geoff Andrew's report

Rotterdam 2010: Geoff Andrew's report

Geoff Andrew finds rich leftfield pickings at the 2010 Rotterdam Film Festival

Can Tom Ford cut it as a director?

Can Tom Ford cut it as a director?

After ten years as creative head of Gucci, Tom Ford has directed his first movie. Nina Caplan meets him

Time Out's 101 Films of the Decade

Time Out's 101 Films of the Decade

So here it is… Ten years, thousands of movies and millions of dollars in international box office, and it all boils down to this.

2009: The year in film

2009: The year in film

We look back at the best movies of 2009 and pick out some of our favourite lists, features and interviews.