Girlfight

Karyn Kusama makes her debut with this sensitive, subtly told coming-of-age story about boxing and love. Diana (Michelle Rodriguez) is a tough though painfully honest girl living in Brooklyn. Surly, frustrated, and directionless, Diana seems to have a ticket on the express train to expulsion; she ...more

Girlfight has all of the strengths of Kusama's mentor and executive producer John Sayles, but none of his weaknesses. Like Sayles, Kusama has created complex, subtly shaded characters who seem to leap off the screen. Unlike Sayles, whose film style can seem stiff and plodding, Kusama's work is agile and sure-footed. The story unfolds naturally and effortlessly, and clearly the director has a feel for both the outer boroughs of New York and the intricacies of boxing. As Diana, Michelle Rodriguez ...more