Rag Doll Review: An Underdog Story about Life In and Out of the Ring
Films that feature sports as the backdrop to an overarching theme of struggle are often taken for granted by critics and fans alike.
While not everyone can relate to sports, the tale of the underdog that overcomes massive amounts of adversity has been a story trope for ages.
It is a story that people of all shapes and sizes can identify with.
What better sports than mixed martial arts or boxing is there to tell a story?
Unlike sports like basketball, where players are often rewarded for pretending to be injured, in combat sports, many participants are forced to ignore pain and injuries to continue fighting.
What can be most intriguing is finding out and exploring what these same fighters who put their bodies through so much ache and anguish fight for.
The film “Rag Doll,” directed by Bailey Kobe and written by Darren Longley, follows the life of Nora Phoenix, played by Shannon Murray and her everyday struggles that are alleviated by her time at the gym training in mixed martial arts (MMA).
Mixed martial arts is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world. It is one of the few professions that has showcased Female fighters headlining major Pay-Per-View events. Fighters such as Ronda Rousey and Amanda Nunes have become an inspiration for many to try MMA.
One of the most significant positives of the film is the fight choreography. Fight choreographer Martin Wheeler and fight coordinator, Menamy Mitanes, utilized a team of MMA coaches, fighters, and consultants to help the action of the film look as good and realistic as possible.
Much of the film falls on the shoulders of Murray and her interactions with the people in her life. Murray brings a realistic portrayal of a person that is shades of grey and not just good or bad to the character of Nora.
There are many instances where Nora makes mistakes, but you still root for her to succeed. Nora is a flawed character, and as an audience member, you are able to relate and recognize some of those same flaws in yourself.
The characters that surround Nora play a vital role in the film, such as her MMA coach Rosheen played by Dot-Marie Jones. Rosheen may be the most positive influence on Nora as she is one of the few characters to encourage her while training and fighting.
She is also the one who gave Nora the knick name, “ Rag Doll.”
The audience learns the most about Nora through her interactions with her mother, Catherine, played by Stephanie Erb.
Catherine has stage four cancer, and Nora is struggling to keep the house in order while working, training, and taking care of her eccentric mother, who isn’t afraid to speak her mind.
Catherine is a constant motivation for Nora to continue moving forward while dealing with the many negatives surrounding her everyday life.
Like many films about an underdog, there are many characters in “Rag Doll” that treat Nora less than favorably.
Nora has a caretaker for her mother named Mary Peters, played by Hope Shapiro. Their interactions are often negative, with arguments over milk and money.
The most contentious relationships are with Nora’s co-workers as a motel maid.
Lateefah Holder plays Sasha, who continually has confrontational run-ins with Nora throughout the film. The character is written to be completely unlikeable and another obstacle thrown in Nora’s way.
At the motel, you learn the lengths that Nora has taken to support herself and her mother with the introduction of the character Jesus played by Eddie Alfano.
Jesus runs a pseudo-prostitution operation with Nora at the motel that later leads to her firing and a fight between the two.
The motel, in many respects, represents the worst parts of Nora’s life and more of a reason to put her focus and attention on training at the gym.
The film introduces a slight love interest when Nora is unable to pay for her mother’s medicine at the pharmacy. Dante Basco, best known for playing Rufio in Steven Spielberg’s Hook in 1991, plays Jason, who introduces himself by paying for Nora’s medicine.
The interactions between Nora and Jason can best be described as awkward. While Murray and Basco have chemistry, the character of Jason doesn’t want to seem overzealous while Nora seems somewhat apathetic towards him.
The film shines the most in its third act as Nora has entered an MMA tournament with a grand prize for the winner.
Throughout the film, Nora has a training partner named Aisha, played by Roxana Sanchez. The two have a tumultuous love-hate relationship with Aisha, constantly pushing Nora in training to the point of literally beating her up in one sparring session.
In the film’s conclusion, Nora fights Aisha in the tournament finals. The fight showcases one of the underlying themes of the movie in that your biggest opponent is often yourself.
Nora is mostly dominated in the fight with Aisha. At times the film adds drama such as Nora turning her back on Aisha and trying to return and talk to her corner in the middle of a round.
The film, however, by putting Nora through so much adversity, makes her triumph mean that much more.
“Rag Doll” with a superb ensemble cast held together by stellar performances from Shannon Murray, Stephanie Erb, and Dot-Marie Jones falls within the line of sports movies such as “Warrior” or “Rocky.”
These are films about underdogs that go beyond the reach of MMA and boxing. One doesn’t have to be a combat sports fan to enjoy “Rag Doll.”
“Rag Doll” will be available for purchase on Itunes/Apple TV on February 25, 2020. The film is being released by Double Entente Films.
AWARDS:
Best Narrative Feature — Cinema on the Bayou Festival (2019)
Best Actor (Shannon Murray) — Cinema on the Bayou Festival (2019)
Best Screenplay (Narrative Feature) — Queens World Film Festival (2019)
Outstanding Performance in a Supporting Role (Dot-Marie Jones) — Queens World Film Festival (2019)
Best Director (Narrative Feature) — Queens World Film Festival (2019)
Best Performance (Shannon Murray) — Arizona International Film Festival (2019)
Best Ensemble (Narrative Feature) — Queens World Film Festival (2019)
NOMINATIONS:
Best Cinematography — Queens World Film Festival (2019)
Best Female Actor (Shannon Murray) — Queens World Film Festival (2019)
Best Female Actor (Shannon Murray) — North Hollywood Cinefest (2019)
Best Supporting Actress (Dot-Marie Jones) — Philadelphia Independent Film Festival (2019)
Best Supporting Actress (Stephanie Erb) — Philadelphia Independent Film Festival (2019)
Best Director — Philadelphia Independent Film Festival (2019)
Best Actress (Shannon Murray) — Philadelphia Independent Film Festival (2019)
Originally published at https://www.frontproofmedia.com on February 25, 2020.