Have we reached a point where no amount of spin can create something fresh within the boxing film genre? It’s true that the differences between most entries in, for example, the “Rocky” franchise and nearly every other motion picture revolving around sports ranges from wide to minimal, but to zero in on the world of boxing sees a tried-and-true formula from which the majority of filmmakers rarely stray very far. All seem to focus on the underdog and past-their-prime coach, or past-their-prime athlete and past-their-prime coach seeking one last shot at a title. Outside forces may threaten their progress, but we all know how it turns out.
“Salvable,” the latest take, hits those familiar beats relatively quickly, as the film largely centers around Sal (Toby Kebbell), ten years removed from Olympic potential, who still trains those boxing muscles even as he recognizes the undeniable fact that his chance at some semblance of glory likely disappeared long ago. Now working in an assisted living facility providing care, he attempts to maintain a relationship with his daughter Molly (Kíla Lord Cassidy), which could be described as tenuous at best. As he tries to come to grips with his circumstances and accept the path his future might take, it’s time to meet Vince (Shia LaBeouf), an old friend newly released from incarceration with an opportunity for Toby to bring in some much-needed cash in an effort to begin extracting himself from the hole that is his lot in life while providing something for Molly as well.
This opportunity, it would seem, broadly encompasses unsanctioned underground bouts, even a sketchy backroad fight. Still, the larger payday waits in the wings when Vince assembles a plan for a robbery, one big heist to seemingly settle their financial problems once and for all, just as a chance materializes for that inevitable, redemptive boxing match to take place right at the same time. It’s not difficult to guess how all of this will turn out.
How many real-life stories like this exist? For every success in the realm of sports, countless others who never came close to their dream have undoubtedly played out for decades, and the resulting narrative can exist as either an example of how to turn one’s life around for the better, or a forewarning of how not to let it all push you down. By latching onto the latter, “Salvable” becomes a pastiche of its predecessors, with “Southpaw” and “The Wrestler” standout examples, with each encompassing a strained father-daughter relationship as its central figure copes with their glory days having passed.
It’s not just “Rocky,” as non-genre titles, including, perhaps most oddly, “The Town, “take the spotlight in the film’s third act, all coming together for something wholly average and as dreary as it gets. Regret runs rampant throughout, particularly during Sal and Molly’s scenes, where the neglect he’s demonstrated towards his daughter, his resulting regret, and his own traumatic childhood all rise to the surface. It’s here that Kebbell, almost always an underrated talent, truly shines, though his commitment rarely comes into question from start to finish. The same can be said about LaBeouf, sporting a British accent only inches from being labeled too thick, but his camaraderie with Kebbell can’t be denied.
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It requires little effort to predict the outcome, even as the opening credits unfo. Still, the dedication on behalf of everyone who makes up this cast helps what’s already tremendously unoriginal to, at minimum, warrant a watch. Sal and Molly provide the heart, as do Sal and Vince, as the film edges towards the end, and in their wake, yet another movie about boxing ever so slightly becomes something else.
We all have choices in life, with some having repercussions in either direction, and as this relates to what’s transpired during the minutes of “Salvable,” director/writer Björn Franklin and co-director Johnny Marchetta have made it clear that the heavy lifting (er, hitting) should rest on the shoulders of those onscreen. As the old saying goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” and maybe that’s the best way to view this film. [C+]
