Hands of Stone
Director: Jonathan Jakubowicz
Starring: Édgar Ramírez, Robert De Niro, Usher Raymond IV, Ellen Barkin, John Turturro
Three stars
Hands of Stone is a sprawling, yet fairly conventional, biopic about the Panamanian boxing champion Roberto Duran – a man the Associated Press once declared the seventh-greatest fighter and No 1 lightweight boxer of the 20th century.
For the uninitiated, the title refers to his nickname. He was known for packing a mighty punch and – usually – winning.
When he faced Sugar Ray Leonard for the welterweight title in 1980, his record was 71 wins and one loss. He won that match too, only to forfeit it six months later in a bizarre rematch that’s become known as the “No Mas Fight”.
Popular myth would have us all believe that Duran said “No Mas” to end the match part of the way through. He had fallen out of shape during the months between the two fights.
That event is dramatised in writer-director Jonathan Jakubowicz’s film, with Edgar Ramirez as Duran and singer Usher Raymond as Leonard.
But while it might be the showdown that has cemented Duran's unique place in history – even if he probably did not actually utter those words – it is hardly the main event of Hands of Stone, which strives to give context to his life – complications and all.
Our entry to the story is oddly through famed coach Ray Arcel (Robert De Niro), who comes to observe Duran in action before agreeing to train him. He is already great at this point, but Arcel takes him to the next level – namely the United States.
Duran is not interested at first – he hates the US for what it has done to his country. This framework allows Hands of Stone to jump back in time to a glossy re-enactment of the 1964 riots over sovereignty of the Panama Canal.
Duran, who was born in 1951, grew up during this time of heightened tensions, which would colour his political views into adulthood. An impoverished child, he started brawling in the streets when he was just eight and was fighting professionally by the age of 16.
The film follows the standard biopic beats in recounting his scrappy origins and his aggressive pursuit of Felicidad Iglesias (played by Cuban actress Ana de Armas, who also plays the significant other role in War Dogs) and the quick, and humorous, expansion of their family.
He eventually accepted Arcel’s counsel and they set off down the path of making him a superstar, which of course leads to the money, drugs and hedonistic lifestyle that we’ve seen in films like this so, so many times.
With this entire story to work with, it is a little confusing as to why Jakubowicz packs in so much about Arcel as well – from his weird beef with the mob to his relationship with his wife (Ellen Barkin) and the secret daughter he has hidden from her.
Certainly, he is an interesting man, worthy probably of his own biopic, but his arc here has the feel of an unnecessary side show. But this is the Raging Bull star in another boxing movie, so co-lead it is.
Distractions aside, Ramirez and De Niro prove to be a good pairing. De Niro takes on the air of a kindly father figure – one who doesn’t yell and berate from the corner of the ring, but instead gently combs Duran’s dripping wet hair back in between rounds. The idea is that he’ll psychologically disarm opponents by looking improbably fresh and groomed in the middle of a fight.
Ramirez is solidly compelling as Duran, the complicated pit bull that he is –but the audience is kept at a distance and isn’t given an opportunity to truly empathise.
Hands of Stone is a solid film, but you just can't help shake the feeling that we have seen it all before.
artslife@thenational.ae