MovieChat Forums > Shadowboxer (2006) Discussion > This film was terrible... And they say ...

This film was terrible... And they say Halle Berry degraded herself


1. The chemistry between Mirren and Gooding was nonexistent.

2. Macy Gray was the worst thing about this absurd film. She was annoying and hideous to look at. I literally hated her in it.

3. The plot was way too much. Less is more, less, more.

4. I didn't believe in any reason for Levitt to be with Mo'Nique. I don't care if he was just using her. I didn't buy him doing that.

5. The camera work, cinematography, slow motions and editing style all made for a 93 minute long music video.

6. The performances were less than stellar.

And what was up with that music?

I only cared for Ferlito and her son. My genuine concern was slightly tainted by the behavior of Ferlito against Gooding midway through the film. I also felt for Gooding at times, for his character's backstory and most of all, his obedience to Mirren and Ferlito. He looked like a slave the whole film. I never saw him use his own mind or make his own choices. He obeyed Mirren too the fullest.

I am constantly on the message boards defending Halle Berry from idiots who call her a whore for playing nothing more than a wounded, desperate woman in "Monster's Ball." I know half the hate wouldn't exist if she never won an Oscar for the role or screwed a black guy in the film instead. Nonetheless, she was awarded for playing a character I could only recognize as fragile, lonely and vulnerable. What did Gooding get for playing a modern day black slave?

This film gets a 2/10 at best, and I'm being nice only because I'm in love with Helen Mirren.

No Country For Old Men Academy Award® Winner for Best Picture of 2007

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I have to agree. That is no way that someone like Gooding's character would be taking orders and banging that old bat.And he would have banged Ferlito's character the first chance he got. Who's idea was it to add Macy Gray? Worst casting decision in history.The Levitt/Monique relationship was also ridiculous. Plus a crackhead wouldn't be that fat.




Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by rulers as useful.

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I completely agree with Points 1 and 2.

LOL: Macy Gray was totally ROBBED of a Razzie Award, IMO!

She gives possibly the WORST performance in a non-porn film in cinematic history.

The sad thing about "Shadowboxer" is that it is not only a bad film - it's a bad film that really really tries HARD to be a GOOD film (i.e. the pseudo "Godfather" score, lush photography, etc.)

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I agree. I suffered through the beginning: Gooding asking Mirren if she wanted to give him a bath (and she does...like a mother would an infant and guy on pool table being "punished" -lost my appetite with that one), attempted to continue on with the movie, and I had to turn it off when Dorff was banging the girl on the desk.

I couldn't put up with such CRAP. If it wasn't Levitt trying a "city" accent that was NOT him, then it was the psycho bee-yotch "wife"/mark or any other piece of "plot" in this movie.

No wonder it was only rated 3 out of 5 stars with Netflix.




Courage is the mastery of fear, not the absence of fear.

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I borrowed the dvd from the library, wanting to see Daniels' work prior to "Precious." Based on Shadowboxer I will not be spending money on "Precious."
This movie was truly horrid.

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This movie is so *beep* up, lol. Random sex scenes thrown in, som bad casting decisons with monique and macy gray. There's also some bad dialogue, and the story just...damn.


"Watching porn is like reading recipe books without eating anything"- My history teacher

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Point 5. The camera work, cinematography, slow motions and editing style all made for a 93 minute long music video.

The only mood I could see was overdramatic.
Also At times I had the feeling I was watching a gay erotic movie.

I think 2/10 or perhaps lower.

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Saw this film the other day with friends and family. We all agreed we thought it would be a good film considering it had Gooding Jr and Mirren in it. We were really wrong. I usually like it when top actors/actresses take offbeat roles. But, I can't see why they agreed to do this waste of time film.

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