Actor Jack Huston makes his directorial debut with the drama “The Day of the Fight,” starring Michael Pitt, in Venice’s Horizons Extra. The black and white film, set in the early 1980s, follows Mikey (Pitt) through his day as he prepares for a comeback fight at Madison Square Garden that night. But Mikey is preparing for something much bigger, as the screenplay – written by Huston – delves into his past, his relationships and all the pain, sorrow and joy they bring.
He visits his ex-wife (Nicolette Robinson), trainer (Ron Perlman), best friend (John Magaro) and, in one showstopping scene, his father (played by Joe Pesci), who’s been cut down by dementia and can’t talk or even move on his own, in a nursing home. Pesci uses only his eyes to convey emotions — arguably a bold play by a rookie filmmaker to use the famously animated actor in such a subtle way.
He visits his ex-wife (Nicolette Robinson), trainer (Ron Perlman), best friend (John Magaro) and, in one showstopping scene, his father (played by Joe Pesci), who’s been cut down by dementia and can’t talk or even move on his own, in a nursing home. Pesci uses only his eyes to convey emotions — arguably a bold play by a rookie filmmaker to use the famously animated actor in such a subtle way.
- 9/2/2023
- by Carole Horst
- Variety Film + TV
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