The Fire Inside

The Fire Inside
Starring Ryan Destiny, Brian Tyree Henry, Olunike Adelivi, De'Adre Aziza
Directed by Rachel Morrison

While musical biopics are a dime a dozen, the true story of sports legends are equally as frequent, but there's something different about them. Sports films are more powerful, in that it showcases a person's resolve to rise above their circumstances and make a name for themselves using their own talents - but that also describes musical biopics as well - but what sets them apart is a certain spark that they possess. While most musical biopics either show their subjects as superhuman or ripe for pity before achieving superstardom, sports biopics shed light on their upbringing and shows their sheer will and determination to do the impossible. While I'm not a sports guy myself, I can appreciate a good sports biopic, and "The Fire Inside" is one such film - telling the story of an Olympic star that many people have never heard of, and her quest for equality for women in Olympic sports.

In Flint, Michigan, young Claressa Shields (Ryan Destiny) wants to be a boxing star, and is trained by volunteer trainer Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry). When Claressa's home life falls apart, Jason takes her into her home with his wife and children, and she becomes another part of their family - but is shown no favoritism. Claressa puts in the work and earns the right to participate in the 2012 Summer Olympics, but even that doesn't allow her to get out of the bleak world she finds herself in. After winning the gold, she thinks she'll find some lucrative sponsorships that'll help her family, but finds that no one cares about female boxing, and sets out to earn equality for all Olympic participants.

"The Fire Inside" is one of those uplifting tales that will give you hope in humanity, and also hope in yourself to achieve the impossible. It shows the true nature of the human spirit and its ability to not give up when the going gets tough, but continues to fight for what it wants, and what it deserves. This is Claressa's story, and it's told almost entirely through her lens. Seeing her grit, her determination, and her struggles is inspiring, and also lived-in, making you feel like you're a part of her journey as well. She's tough-as-nails, but also suffers from the pitfalls of sexist behavior in sports, especially when it comes to female boxers. She can't find sponsors after winning gold because companies don't want to come off as showing beating women is something to be admired, even if its boxing. It's disheartening, but Claressa refuses to give up.

Relative newcomer Ryan Destiny shines as Claressa, making you fall in love with her immediately and hope for the best, and Brian Tyree Henry is perfect fodder as Jason, Claressa's trainer who also struggles like she does in trying to make a living in the destitute town of Flint, best known for its water issues that resulted in numerous cases of illnesses and death. These two actors work extremely well together, and their relationship is the highlight of the film - even though they sometimes don't admit it, they need one another, and it shows in their performances. It's a one-two punch that results in an emotional TKO - I think I made that analogy right.

While most sports biopics would end with Claressa winning the gold, the movie continues on in showing her struggling to make a name for herself in the male-dominated world. This is where the film really packs a punch, showing the audience how hard it is for women to gain equality in sports, and seeing Claressa's resolve is nothing short of inspiring. It does hit some of the generic notes (the tragic upbringing, the heated arguments, etc) but it doesn't rest on those laurels, but rather goes further and tells a deeper story, and we're all the better for it.

The Score: A-