‘The Fire Inside’ Review: Rachel Morrison’s Directorial Feature debut is a Sincere Yet Unremarkable, By-the-Numbers Sports Biopic | TIFF

Award-winning cinematographer Rachel Morrison (the first woman ever Oscar-nominated for cinematography) makes her feature debut with The Fire Inside, an earnest yet conventional picture that doesn’t quite pack an emotional punch. A solid yet lacking effort, the film doesn’t quite stand out from the genre nor offer anything refreshing or different. Serviceable for most of the running time, the film has some hints of more depth in its final act, but remains otherwise content with a straightforward narrative approach that lends it to be more of a crowdpleaser rather than what could have been a much more insightful viewing experience. 

Based on the true story of double gold medal winner Claressa Shields (Ryan Destiny), the only American boxer, male or female, to ever win two consecutive gold medals at the Olympics, the film, written by Academy Award-winning director Barry Jenkins (Moonlight), attempts to delve into what truly shapes the champions we see and cheer for on our screens. As skilled as they may be, their lives may not have been easy; and the road to the podium is often filled with pain, traumas and indispensable support by those who believed in them, and helped them realize their long-dormant potential. 

Far from a privileged boxer who had the best conditions to grow into what it takes to be a champion, Shields had everything that could have stopped her from approaching glory. Molested at a very young age, her childhood was troubled and disrupted by her mother’s negligence. With very little means available to her, Shields was determined to channel her frustration and anger into something much more worthwhile than merely lamenting her misfortunes. 

She soon joins a local boxing club where part-time coach Jaon Crutchfield (Oscar nominee Brian Tyree Henry) decides to take her under his wing, offering her both physical and spiritual guidance. And when things go south at home, Shields moves into Crutchfield’s house, becoming a member of his family. It is only then that she experiences safety and stability for once in her life, and such conditions allow her to focus on achieving her dream of becoming an Olympic gold medal champion, a step that in her mind would be the only way she can elevate herself, and her family, on the social status scale, earn enough money to support herself and ensure a better future for her family who have always deserved better than what life ever gave them.

But the road to the Olympics is not what Shields had in mind. With every obstacle she faces along the way, Crutchield reminds her of what makes her stand out from the rest: the fire inside her – that anger that she is so capable of fiercely channeling on the field. The film then takes us on her first gold medal journey, as she struggles to qualify through to the final match in which she stuns the world and rightfully earns the gold.

From the get go, and even if you’re unfamiliar with Shields’ true story, the filmmaking style gives you all the possible clues that this is going to be an underdog story with a happy ending. It all feels low-risk, and the narrative does little to truly make us feel the true stakes at hand. The film only gets interesting for a bit in its third act, when Shields starts to face the aftermath of her historic win. No sponsors come on board to support her post-win career, as female boxing still suffers from a stigma as it goes against what’s expected of female athletes. It is then that the film feels suddenly grounded, stripped away from its conventional heroic mode, as we see how the world may not welcome all champions with open arms. 

Ultimately, the film rushes the resolution of Shields’ plight for equal pay for male and female athletes, and it all feels too easy, unlike what Shields must have actually experienced. It’s understandable that Morrison wanted to make an uplifting film, and Shields’ Olympics journey is indeed inspiring, but that comes at the expense of taking narrative risks and going a bit deeper with characterization and narrative choices. Brian Tyree Henry gives the film its beating heart, wonderfully portraying the true force behind Shields’ rise on the international stage, and Ryan Destiny is quite convincing as the fierce and determined Shields, but the film never quite reaches the desired artistic, narrative or dramatic heights. We’re left yearning for more; and what we get is serviceable but not truly satisfying. 

Grade: C-

This review is from the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival where The Fire Inside had its world premiere. Amazon MGM will release the film theatrically in the U.S. on Christmas Day.