Customer Reviews

Facing Ali

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

There is no doubt whatsoever that Muhammad Ali is one of the most polarizing (and, yet, inspiring) figures in sporting history. Not only was he arguably the most talented pugilist in history, but his religious (Islam) and societal (Vietnam) stands are now legendary. This new documentary, however, carves out its own little niche in the history of Ali by telling his story not from his point of view, but from the men who battled him inside the ring.

This film really can work on two different levels:

First, for younger (or more "inexperienced" Ali viewers), it is fascinating to hear the thoughts of other fighters who stood toe-to-toe with the man. Whether it be his greatest nemesis (Joe Frazier), most spectacular upset (George Foreman), or just some guy from England (Sir Henry Cooper) that happened to land one solid punch, all the guests in this documentary have very interesting takes on "The Greatest". It is especially poignant to hear most (if not all) of the competitors thanking Ali for giving them their chance at greatness. For some, a fight against Ali helped put food on the table for their children, which is a side of boxing not often thought about.

For more "seasoned" Ali fans, who have likely heard and read it all about the man, this movie is still enjoyable due to that fact that you get to see all "the old gang" once again. Some guys (Cooper, Ron Lyle, Earnie Shavers) might bring back long-forgotten memories of the "golden age" of boxing, others (Frazier, Foreman) help you relive those epic battles, and one (George Chuvalo) will have you almost in tears from his genuiness. Plus, and it wouldn't be a boxing documentary without this, there are the crazies (Leon Spinks, Larry Holmes) that serve to really liven up the proceedings with their rather "colorful" commentary. Though it may be sad to see the former heroes of the ring in various stages of decay, it is still fun to hear from them once again.

Thus, I highly recommend this documentary to any and all fans of Muhammad Ali, or just boxing/sports in general. I have read numerous books and watched multiple videos on similar subject matter, and this one is close to the top of that list.

A wonderful documentary giving Ali's various opponents a moment to speak about how they felt fighting 'the greatest'. You get to hear some personal back story from the fighters. Normally you just see documentaries about how Ali did this and that, but you never get to hear the actual fighters talk, well, now you can... Its nostalgic to see these old men who were once on top of the world and now they are looking back at their past and reflecting. A must see. Of course there is plenty of 'the greatest' chattering away from past interviews and there is plenty of crystal clear footage of each fight mentioned. I'm glad this documentary was made. A real treasure in boxing documentation.

There has been a large amount of work dedicated to Mohammed Ali and his career but this documentary looks at the man and the times through the eyes of the fighters that faced him over the course of his amazing and controversial his career.

The movie interviews 10 former fighters that were pivotal in Ali's career; George Chuvalu, Henry Cooper, Ernie Terrell, Joe Frazier, Ron Lyle, Kenny Norton, Ernie Shavers, George Forman, Leon Spinks, and Larry Holmes. The interviews are remarkably intertwined with digitally re-mastered archival footage of their fights.
From a historical standpoint the first hour of the film does an excellent job of placing Ali in the social, racial, and economic context of the 1960s. (I could see this half of the film being used as a source for American History Courses) However, after his 3 year suspension from boxing and return in 1973 the film shifts into a fight by fight chronicle of his comeback and eventual decline. The one failure of the film is in my opinion the lack of emphasis of the the Frazier -Ali rivalry that produced three of the greatest fights of all times and made that era the pinnacle of the sport.

These 10 fighters were products of the depression (except Spinks perhaps) and each used boxing to escape their hardscrabble conditions. As one fighter noted "Nobody from the middle class goes into boxing." Each fighter was acutely aware but at the same time equally grateful that they were allowed to be bit players in the larger drama which was Mohammad Ali. As Ron Lyle succinctly put it, "If it wasn't for Ali you wouldn't be here talking to Ron Lyle today."

To the films credit the intimate focus on these men highlights that they each have their own life stories which are as compelling and in some cases as personally tragic as the man remembered as The Greatest.

4.6 stars

Everything about this one is quality, from the camera work to the editing to the quality of the interviews. The filmmakers wisely stay hidden and let the boxers speak entirely for themselves, and what takes shape is an excellent examination of Ali, his opponents, and the boxing game in general.

The highlight for me was easily George Chuvalo's incredibly heartfelt and heartbreakingly honest look at this own life, and his family's issues with drug addiction. You expect this movie to be all Ali, then suddenly after a couple sharp jabs you catch a roundhouse right from the Canadian fighter and hit the mat. That scene took me by surprise more than almost anything I've ever seen in a movie. George comes across as a truly decent man and the humanity and suffering he openly shares with us hit me straight in the heart. An incredible moment that I'll never forget.

Add to that so many other fascinating characters and you've got a great film. And every one of these guys is a character, no question about it. My other favorite is Brit Henry Cooper, whose no-nonsense attitude and common sense are both refreshing and really funny at times. Holmes is also good humor, as is Foreman, and Spinks couldn't be invented if you tried. Real life in this movie is much more interesting than any fiction.

And of course rising above it all is the Greatest himself. The filmmakers do a good job at showing how his Vietnam War rebellion and other incidents made him the icon he became, perhaps the most famous person in the world of the last fifty years. And the respect that every fighter here has for Ali, both as a man and as a pugilist, is more than palpable. It's touching, and one feels somehow honored that these guys share with us as much as they do of their deep feelings for Ali.

Not to mention the fight highlights, worth watching this for purely on their own merits. I'm not much of a boxing fan any more, but seeing Ali dancing and weaving with that unparalleled footwork and attitude is a real treat. He truly had it all, especially the drive to be the best.

You walk away with much respect for almost all of the fighters here, and certainly for the man himself, whose sense of humor and intense drive to be the best, not to mention a gift for the English language unlike any other, still mark him as one of the greatest sports figures of the 20th century, and one of the most consistently interesting people I've ever had the privilege to watch from afar. That he would risk it all to stand up for his principles, especially ideals so at odds with his culture, seems oven more amazing in hindsight. That and his Muslim convictions come across strongly here, and make his accomplishments out of the ring seem even more impressive than his many wins inside it.

I grew up as a kid watching Ali fight in the late '60s and '70s, and all those memories that once seemed so halcyon are proved by this film to be dead-on. He really was one of a kind, and the chance to see his story played out beside the lives of his opponents here is a unique and fascinating experience.

This film is highly recommended to pretty much anyone who finds people fascinating. And if you've ever enjoyed even one boxing match, this is a must; Facing Ali is probably the best film on boxing I've ever seen.

I rented this movie from Netflix, and I've watched it three times, first by myself, the second and third time with other people that weren't particularly boxing fans or Ali fans. Everybody agreed that this was a fascinating film! It's about an hour and forty minutes long - about as long as a movie - but you won't believe how fast the time goes! Facing Ali is fascinating on several levels:

1) It gives very brief histories of the times at which particular fights took place, particularly from the black boxers' perspective; for example, Ali's importance to the black community of the 1960's.

2) I was surprised at how many of the boxers interviewed in this movie (all men who had faced Ali in the ring), had moments in the film where they talk about regretting actions of their youth, and how all of these guys - now older men - show such enlightenment that comes with maturing into older age.

3) The movie is a fascinating, deep, quite realization for the viewer of the frailty and passage of life as scenes of these once Herculean men of power, full of the arrogance of youth, with testosterone coursing through their veins, are interposed with the interviews of these now old men - wiser, deeper in character, grateful for the time of their youth and opportunities, and most importantly, not bitter about losses in the ring that could have and should have gone their way.

This is an excellent film, with a subtle, poignant message about the importance of enjoying life in its prime and being happy and thankful for opportunities, without bitterness, and later, enjoying your present life for the deeper understanding of the important things - life, family, and love.

Even if you're not a boxing fan or an Ali fan, watch this film! It will make a positive impact on your life for a long time to come!

To see these old warriors reflecting on Ali and their own involvement in his extraordinary life was something special while I felt a kind of sadness in seeing them all having grown old along with him.
Ali was such a remarkable human being I am happy to have lived in his time.
He was a special inspiration in the league of Mandela and Martin Luther King and I believe those others great boxers (even Joe Frazier) have come to acknowledge that Ali was more than a boxer.
Another reviewer had taken offence to some subtitles being added believing it was demeaning to those old fighters. Frankly their words were slurred (nothing unusual for boxers) and I was glad to have that option on my copy and didn't consider it disrespectful.

Can anyone tell me what is that last music track playing as the credits come up?

I searched the tracks listed in the credits on the internet but could not identify it.

I've always loved the brash outspoken Ali. And I am saddened by his current condition. In his prime without question one of the greatest if not the GREATEST. To hear the reverence in which his opponents describe their experience with him was very touching. Even his old nemesis (Joe Frazier) was almost brought to tears when speaking about him. Earnie Shavers and Ron Lyle looked great the others not so much. It was also great to get insight into their personal lives as well. I didn't know George Foreman sparred with Sony Liston. Ali claimed Shavers & Frazier hit him the hardest but you will see Pierre Coopman land what I believe the best shot on Ali (almost put him through the ropes). A well done piece of work I would highly recommend to the die hard and casual Ali fan.

Facing Ali is on the short list for an Oscar nomination and deserves to be there. This documentary is more than a tribute to Ali; it is an intense study of great boxers after they leave the ring. My particular hero is Ron Lyle, who overcame the toughest odds and is making a real contribution to his community; he is also the most articulate of the spokesmen. But all have moving stories to tell and all may be forgiven, just as they have forgiven Ali.

Seeing When We Were Kings the other night put me in an Ali zone so I checked this one out tonight and to be honest, this film, though its watered down with more of his fights--10 to be exact--does not take a back seat to Kings on any level except for the music--no James Brown, B.B. King, Spinners, etc. This film is about 10 out of many fighters he faced, 10 of his best fights, fights that are still THE best fights ever: George Chuvalu, Henry Cooper, Ernie Terrell, Joe Frazier, Ron Lyle, Kenny Norton, Ernie Shavers, George Forman, Leon Spinks, and Larry Holmes--this doc is about the Great One in the words of the men he fought and the impact he made on their lives.

There's Sir Henry Cooper, the smiling Englishman gentleman who was the first to knock Ali to the canvas. There's Smoking Joe whose 3 encounters with Ali are among the most competitive and brutal of all fights. There's big George Foreman, in that time indestructible after annihilating the 2 fighters who gave Ali so much trouble, Frazier and Norton. Nobody gave Ali any chance of beating Foreman but Ali did just that adding the term rope-a-dope to the American Lexicon. There was big Jimmy Lyle recalling his short stint as sparring partner for Ali and Frazier who were preparing to face one another in their final bout, Thrilla in Manila. My favorite vignette of the film was by George Chuvalu who digressed to reflect on losing 3 sons to heroine addiction, one of which killed himself and also losing his wife who also committed suicide.

From the beginning of the film we see Ali's spectacular rise beginning with his upset victory and emasculation of bully ex-con Sonny Liston. The middle of the film concentrates on his career following his 3 year boxing suspension. The final third of the film begins with Thrilla in Manila and from this fight the gradual deterioration of his otherworldly skills and progressively slurring speech patterns, culminating in his sad defeat at the hands of Larry Holmes who, as all the fighters in the film, had nothing but praise and gratitude for Ali, as a boxer and as a Black man who stood up for his beliefs. This is one terrific film in every way and doesn't take a back seat to When We Were Kings in no way.

There are enough other documentaries out there and old reels which feature Muhammad Ali sounding off about his own greatness. FACING ALI is a fascinating documentary that switches it up, allows ten of the Greatest's opponents to have their say about Ali. And some of the things they say aren't so complimentary, so this isn't by any means a suck-up job. This documentary, by the way, is based on Stephen Brunt's engrossing book.

George Chuvalo. Sir Henry Cooper. George Foreman. Joe Frazier. Larry Holmes. Ron Lyle. Ken Norton. Earnie Shavers. Leon Spinks. The singing Ernie Terrell. Some of these cats are articulate, some not so much. Several wax eloquent about what Ali meant to them and how he impacted the incendiary social climate of the 1960s and '70s. Some take sly potshots. Frazier probably still isn't over Ali's very demeaning insults, although he still got choked up by documentary's end. What you don't get is a unanimous proclamation done by rote of how wonderful Ali is. These fighters deliver honest, sometimes unflinching, perspectives. They say what they really think of Ali as a fighter and as a man. Nowadays Ali is revered as one of the most beloved sports figures in American history. But it wasn't always so. There was a time in the '60s when Ali was very much a polarizing figure. The brash, uppity Louisville Lip who would make cruel fun of his opponent and predict what round he'll knock the bum out. The blasphemer who rebuffed the consensus religion to take up Islam. The coward who wouldn't fight for his country. There were haters back in the day.

FACING ALI is an entertaining, moving, and sometimes haunting film, and one I couldn't just turn off (and I had to go to work, too, man). Each fighter paints an intimate backdrop, provides personal color to his fight with Ali, and, in the process, interjects a bit of his own life story. George Chuvalo, a born raconteur, recounts an anecdote about his drugged-out kids that is particularly searing. We learn of Ken Norton's devastating car accident that paralyzed him for three years. And of Ernie Terrell's pre-fight dissing of Ali by way of song. We also see archival footage of Ali's fights with these gentlemen, although there's nothing new there as most of these clips are probably very familiar to longtime boxing fans, especially those who can access ESPN Classic. However, based on these fighters' insights, you may look at these clips in a different light.

The DVD's bonus material: "Animated Trivia Cards" are just condensed bios on the ten boxers; "Bringing the Fights to Life" is a featurette that goes into the technical challenges concerning the shooting of this documentary (00:08:24 minutes); "Facing Ali: Book to Screen" is pretty much the Making Of segment (00:11:22); and in the "After the Bell" featurette, director Pete McCormack talks about his impressions of these fighters and the experience of meeting and working with them (00:08:56).