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The Iron Claw -
This heart wrenching drama is as much about wrestling as it is about grief. Grief was something on the minds of the Von Erich brothers every day since the first one of them that came along, Jack, died tragically at six. Since their father, Fritz, ran the WCCW, wrestling was his family’s bread and butter. To avoid further tragedy, he taught his sons to not only be champions, but also to remain on top. They soon learned that the cost of keeping the machine running at full power was too high.
Of all the ways to feel, grief is the last one I'd choose to experience willingly, so as much as the movie makes Fritz and wife Doris out to be villains, and rightly so, it also succeeds at making you understand where they're coming from. Nuances like this and its aim to humanize the Von Erich family means it thankfully avoids cheap melodrama and thus makes the emotions feel like they're earned. It even manages to do this for a flamboyant character like Ric Flair! That the acting of the brothers is exceptional helps, with Zac Efron as now oldest sibling Kevin doing career-best work. The way he expresses his ambivalence about pleasing his father and the increasingly dire consequences that result is so natural, as is how he shows how much Kevin loved his brothers and spending time with them. Just as affecting is The Bear's Jeremy Allen White and Stanley Simons for how they convey the physical and emotional tolls of keeping the Von Erich name relevant. The period accuracy also deserves praise, especially because of the soundtrack. The "Tom Sawyer" montage in particular is a blast and may be my favorite montage of the year. I also like the insider’s perspective it provides into the professional wrestling business and the opportunities it provides for some of the cast – Efron and White in particular – to exhibit their other talents, especially during the "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" dance at Kevin's wedding.
As much as I enjoyed this and as much credit I give the movie for making the tears seem earned, it's not without its flaws. I do like Holt McCallany, but I wasn't crazy about his delivery as Fritz for how it sounds more like voiceover narration than natural speech, which sticks out like a sore thumb given how natural the communication is between his sons. Also, Lily James' role is as Kevin's wife is a bit two-dimensional. For the ways the movie made me consider the power of grief, how far some will go to fight it and for how well it tells the Von Erich's story, it's worth going out of your way to see regardless of your interest in wrestling. Just be prepared to only want to see light comedies for a while once it’s over.
This heart wrenching drama is as much about wrestling as it is about grief. Grief was something on the minds of the Von Erich brothers every day since the first one of them that came along, Jack, died tragically at six. Since their father, Fritz, ran the WCCW, wrestling was his family’s bread and butter. To avoid further tragedy, he taught his sons to not only be champions, but also to remain on top. They soon learned that the cost of keeping the machine running at full power was too high.
Of all the ways to feel, grief is the last one I'd choose to experience willingly, so as much as the movie makes Fritz and wife Doris out to be villains, and rightly so, it also succeeds at making you understand where they're coming from. Nuances like this and its aim to humanize the Von Erich family means it thankfully avoids cheap melodrama and thus makes the emotions feel like they're earned. It even manages to do this for a flamboyant character like Ric Flair! That the acting of the brothers is exceptional helps, with Zac Efron as now oldest sibling Kevin doing career-best work. The way he expresses his ambivalence about pleasing his father and the increasingly dire consequences that result is so natural, as is how he shows how much Kevin loved his brothers and spending time with them. Just as affecting is The Bear's Jeremy Allen White and Stanley Simons for how they convey the physical and emotional tolls of keeping the Von Erich name relevant. The period accuracy also deserves praise, especially because of the soundtrack. The "Tom Sawyer" montage in particular is a blast and may be my favorite montage of the year. I also like the insider’s perspective it provides into the professional wrestling business and the opportunities it provides for some of the cast – Efron and White in particular – to exhibit their other talents, especially during the "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" dance at Kevin's wedding.
As much as I enjoyed this and as much credit I give the movie for making the tears seem earned, it's not without its flaws. I do like Holt McCallany, but I wasn't crazy about his delivery as Fritz for how it sounds more like voiceover narration than natural speech, which sticks out like a sore thumb given how natural the communication is between his sons. Also, Lily James' role is as Kevin's wife is a bit two-dimensional. For the ways the movie made me consider the power of grief, how far some will go to fight it and for how well it tells the Von Erich's story, it's worth going out of your way to see regardless of your interest in wrestling. Just be prepared to only want to see light comedies for a while once it’s over.