These three new sports dramas punch above their weight

NEW YORK (AP) — The sports movie, like any genre, can easily fall victim to overly familiar story beats. An underdog challenger. A big match. You know how the rest goes.

But a trio of new movies brings some original moves, and a few curveballs, to a genre where tried-and-true formula often reigns supreme. In a movie year that’s already given us “Challengers” – a tennis movie that has almost nothing to do with tennis and everything to do with the dynamics of a threesome – these movies carve out their own place in the hard knocks world of sports dramas.

Each, curiously enough, is a directorial debut by an industry veteran. And each features, among other fine performances, one of the great standbys of the sports film and the abiding refuge of great character actors: the inspirational coach.

Jack Huston’s “Day of the Fight,” currently playing in theaters, stars Michael Pitt as down-and-out middleweight boxer “Irish” Mike Flannigan. He is, like some battered boxers before him, seeking redemption. Flannigan’s once-promising career was long ago derailed by a fatal drunk driving accident. But on this day, he’s preparing for an unlikely opportunity: an undercard bout at Madison Square Garden.

“Day of the Fight” is loosely based on the 1951 Stanley Kubrick documentary short of the same name, and it’s likewise in black and white. Huston, the “Boardwalk Empire” actor and grandson to director John Huston, has mulled the movie since watching his “Boardwalk” co-star Pitt, the sometimes troubled but always talented actor.

“I had in my head this image of Michael Pitt punching a sandbag when we were on the set of ‘Boardwalk,'" says Huston. "I think his life in a strange way mimics that of a boxer — sometimes the ups, sometimes the downs. Specifically where he is in his life right now, he has the essence of that boxer mentality. He can take a punch but, guess what, he keeps standing up.”

“Day of the Fight” culminates in the Madison Square Garden match, but the movie is largely about the preamble to the fight. The movie follows Flannigan on a series of poignant errands.

“I wanted to make a film where you didn’t necessarily need the boxing match,” Huston says. “The boxing match became icing.”

The film instead evolves as an elegiac character study of a man, pummeled by life, trying to put things in order.

“Me and Michael used to speak about how you can walk into any boxing gyms and you’d find multiple stories just like Irish Mike’s,” says Huston. “These guys go through it. I think that’s probably why their world is so fascinating to us.”

CORNERMAN: Ron Perlman. Though “Day of the Fight” is graced by a several father figures (Joe Pesci, Steve Buscemi), the one that really stands out is Perlman’s coach. Perlman, the spectacular character actor, has all the gravitas and crustiness you’d ever want in a boxing coach.

William Goldenberg, the Oscar-winning editor (“Argo,” “Heat”) directs this based-on-a-true-story drama about the life of NCAA champion wrestler Anthony Robles, played by Jharrel Jerome. The film, which arrives Jan. 16 on Prime Video, chronicles Robles’ constant hardships, not the least of which is that he was born without his right leg.

While “Unstoppable” does steer toward the moment of ultimate triumph for Robles, it carefully and naturally dramatizes his long road to the championship. It’s less about Robles’ overcoming one challenge than it is about his perseverance through constant adversary. Jennifer Lopez co-stars as his mother, with Bobby Cannavale as an abusive step father.

“At a certain point, it’s a movie about an athlete who wins, so there’s going to be certain tropes that are unavoidable. And I didn’t want to avoid them,” says Goldenberg. “I just wanted to try to do them in an organic, real-feeling way. Shooting handheld was the idea that we’re with him along the journey, so you feel like you were facing the challenges he faces.”

“It was a constant battle,” says Robles. “That’s kind of how I felt going through my life, whether it was on a mat against a flesh and blood opponent or it was in my family life or the world. There was always something I was fighting against.”

“Unstoppable” is unique for another reason. While Jerome, the charismatic up-and-coming actor of “Moonlight," bulked up for the role and devoted himself to shadowing Robles, he couldn’t do everything that Robles could. For the wrestling scenes, Robles was Jerome’s body double.

“I signed on to the movie and then I was like: How am I going to do the wrestling?” says Goldenberg. “I watched so many hours of him wrestling. I thought, there’s no way I can do this without him doubling himself. He moves in a way that I just thought no one could ever master.”

CORNERMAN: “Unstoppable” is the rare sports drama to give you not just one excellent coach, but two. Because it spans Robles’ wrestling career in high school and college, we first get Michael Peña as his most devoted supporter, and, later, Don Cheadle as his initially more skeptical coach in college.

“The Fire Inside,” directed by decorated cinematographer Rachel Morrison (“Fruitvale Station,” “Mudbound”), is also about a real champion, the Olympic gold medal winner Claressa Shields (played by Destiny Ryan).

The first half of “The Fire Inside,” which opens Dec. 25, is somewhat conventional, albeit crafted with a keen sense of texture and the local flavor of Flint, Michigan, where Shields was from. It charts her rise as a female boxer leading up to the 2012 Olympics. Once she's won gold, you might even glance at your watch and wonder why they wrapped things up so quickly.

But the film, scripted by Barry Jenkins, the “Moonlight” director, then turns into something else, something more interesting. Shields’ glory is short-lived. No Wheaties box covers come for her. A tough Black woman in a bloody sport who makes no apologies for her interest in knocking out her opponent, is unappealing to marketers. As “The Fire Inside” continues in its thought-provoking third act, it asks questions less about who wins and more about who gets to be deemed “an American hero.”

CORNERMAN: Brian Tyree Henry plays Shields’ devoted cornerman Jason Crutchfield for the duration, from her first jabs in the gym to her post-Olympics struggles. Henry, a tender and soulful actor in everything, is more of a co-star than a supporting player. Of all the coaches in these three films, he’s the one you’d most want cheering you on.

This image released by Amazon Content Services shows Ryan Destiny as Claressa Shields in a scene from "The Fire Inside." (Sabrina Lantos/Amazon Content Services via AP)

This image released by Amazon Content Services shows Ryan Destiny as Claressa Shields in a scene from "The Fire Inside." (Sabrina Lantos/Amazon Content Services via AP)

This image released by Amazon Content Services shows Ryan Destiny as Claressa Shields, left, and Brian Tyree Henry as Jason Crutchfield in a scene from "The Fire Inside." (Sabrina Lantos/Amazon Content Services via AP)

This image released by Amazon/MGM shows Don Cheadle in a scene from "Unstoppable." (Ana Carballosa/Amazon/MGM via AP)

This image released by Amazon/MGM shows Michael Pena in a scene from "Unstoppable." (Ana Carballosa/Amazon/MGM via AP)

This image released by Amazon/MGM shows Jharrel Jerome in a scene from "Unstoppable." (Ana Carballosa/Amazon/MGM via AP)

This image released by Falling Forward Films shows Ron Perlman in a scene from "Day of the Fight." (Falling Forwrd Films via AP)

This image released by Falling Forward Films shows Michael Pitt in a scene from "Day of the Fight." (Falling Forwrd Films via AP)

This image released by Amazon Content Services shows Ryan Destiny as Claressa Shields in a scene from "The Fire Inside." (Sabrina Lantos/Amazon Content Services via AP)

This image released by Amazon/MGM shows Jharrel Jerome in a scene from "Unstoppable." (Ana Carballosa/Amazon/MGM via AP)

This image released by Falling Forward Films shows Michael Pitt, left, and Ron Perlman in a scene from "Day of the Fight." (Falling Forwrd Films via AP)

MAMOUDZOU, Mayotte (AP) — France used ships and military aircraft to rush rescuers and supplies to Mayotte on Monday after the tiny French island territory off Africa was battered by its worst cyclone in nearly a century. Authorities fear hundreds and possibly thousands of people have died.

Survivors wandered through streets littered with debris, searching for water and shelter after Saturday's Cyclone Chido leveled entire neighborhoods when it hit Mayotte, the poorest territory of France and, by extension, the European Union.

“Chaos” is how resident Fahar Abdoulhamidi described the aftermath. In Mamoudzou, the capital, destruction was total: Schools, hospitals, restaurants and offices were in ruins.

“Mayotte is totally devastated,” French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said.

Hillside villages were reduced to snapped trees and piles of corrugated metal by winds in excess of 220 kph (136 mph), according to the French weather service.

Electricity was down across the archipelago, with only the capital spared. Telecommunications were severely disrupted, with most antennas knocked out of service. Authorities were concerned about a shortage of drinking water.

The French Red Cross described the devastation as “unimaginable” and said it was impossible to give an exact number of victims, with rescuers still searching for bodies. The damage, including to Mayotte’s sole airport, has left some areas inaccessible to emergency teams.

Many people ignored the cyclone warnings in the 24 hours before the storm hit, underestimating its power.

“Nobody believed it would be that big,” Abdoulhamidi told The Associated Press by phone. “Those who live in bangas stayed in despite the cyclone, fearing their homes would be looted,” he said, referring to the island’s informal settlements.

Even worse, many migrants avoided shelters out of fear of deportation, Abdoulhamidi said.

Mayotte is a densely populated archipelago between Madagascar and the African continent of more than 320,000 people, according to the French government. Most are Muslim. And French authorities have estimated another 100,000 migrants from as far away as Somalia.

The official death toll was 20, according to television station Mayotte la 1ere, but French Health Minister Geneviève Darrieussecq has warned that any estimates were likely major undercounts “compared to the scale of the disaster.”

“There’s no water, no electricity. Hunger is starting to rise. It’s urgent that aid arrives, especially when you see children, babies, to whom we have nothing concrete to offer,” Mayotte Sen. Salama Ramia told BFM-TV.

Chido was a category 4 cyclone, the second strongest on the scale, and the worst to hit Mayotte since the 1930s, Prefect François-Xavier Bieuville, the top French government official in the island group, told Mayotte la 1ere.

Bieuville on Sunday asserted that the death toll was several hundred people and could even be in the thousands. But he added it would be extremely hard to count the deaths and many might never be recorded, in part because of the Muslim tradition of burying people within 24 hours.

Rescue teams and supplies have been sent from France and Reunion. Daily airlifts are delivering 20 tons of water and food to address urgent needs, Retailleau said.

Mayotte’s airport remained closed to civilian flights after its control tower was heavily damaged and was not expected to reopen until at least Thursday, authorities said. French authorities said more than 800 more personnel were expected to arrive in the coming days.

Mayotte’s main hospital suffered extensive water damage to the surgery, intensive care, emergency and maternity departments, according to Darrieussecq, the health minister. Retailleau said a field hospital will arrive on Thursday.

And the French Interior Ministry said 1,600 police and gendarmerie officers were deployed soon after the cyclone to “help the population and prevent potential looting.”

Mayotte’s people have previously said their archipelago suffers from underinvestment and neglect by the French government. Around three-quarters of the population lives in poverty, with a median annual disposable income roughly one-eighth that of the Paris metropolitan area, according to the French statistics agency INSEE.

The territory has also faced political unrest and rising support for the far-right National Rally party, reflecting deep dissatisfaction with the political status quo. Last year, the French army moved to quell protests after a drought and mismanagement led to water shortages.

After pummeling Mayotte, Cyclone Chido continued west and made landfall Sunday in Mozambique, where it killed three people, injured 34 and destroyed classrooms in four schools. In neighboring Malawi, Chido killed two people.

December through to March is cyclone season in the southwestern Indian Ocean, and southern Africa has been hammered in recent years. Cyclone Idai in 2019 killed more than 1,300 people, mostly in Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe. Cyclone Freddy left more than 1,000 dead across several countries in the Indian Ocean and southern Africa last year.

The European Parliament observed a minute of silence Monday for Chido's victims, with the chamber's President Roberta Metsola saying “Mayotte is Europe, and Europe will not abandon you."

Adamson reported from Paris. Imray reported from Cape Town, South Africa. Associated Press writers Tom Nouvian in Paris and Monika Pronczuk in Dakar, Senegal, contributed to this report.

This photo provided on Monday Dec. 16, 2024 by the Civil Security shows part of the French territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, after the island was battered by its worst cyclone in nearly a century. (UIISC7/Securite Civile via AP)

This photo provided on Monday Dec. 16, 2024 by the Civil Security shows residents and rescue workers walking in a damaged street in French territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, after the island was battered by its worst cyclone in nearly a century. (UIISC7/Securite Civile via AP)

This photo provided on Monday Dec. 16, 2024 by the Civil Security shows part of the French territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, after the island was battered by its worst cyclone in nearly a century. (UIISC7/Securite Civile via AP)

A man walk in a damaged street in Mamoudzou, in the French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte, Monday, Dec.16, 2024 and France uses ships and military aircraft to rush rescue workers and supplies after the island group was battered by its worst cyclone in nearly a century. (AP Photo/Rainat Aliloiffa)

A fallen tree lies in Mamoudzou, in the French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte, Monday, Dec.16, 2024 as France uses ships and military aircraft to rush rescue workers and supplies after the island group was battered by its worst cyclone in nearly a century. (AP Photo/Rainat Aliloiffa)

People walk by damaged constructions in Mamoudzou, in the French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte, Monday, Dec.16, 2024 as France uses ships and military aircraft to rush rescue workers and supplies after the island group was battered by its worst cyclone in nearly a century. (AP Photo/Rainat Aliloiffa)

Debris are seen in a street of Mamoudzou, in the French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte, Monday, Dec.16, 2024 and France uses ships and military aircraft to rush rescue workers and supplies after the island group was battered by its worst cyclone in nearly a century. (AP Photo/Rainat Aliloiffa)

This photo provided on Monday Dec.16, 2024 by the Gendarmerie Nationale, shows a member of the Gendarmerie Nationale watching an armored vehicle clearing a road Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024 in Mayotte as France rushed rescue teams and supplies to its largely poor overseas department in the Indian Ocean that has suffered widespread destruction. (Gendarmerie Nationale via AP)

This photo provided on Monday Dec.16, 2024 by the Gendarmerie Nationale, shows a member of the Gendarmerie Nationale watching debris Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024 in Mayotte as France rushed rescue teams and supplies to its largely poor overseas department in the Indian Ocean that has suffered widespread destruction. (Gendarmerie Nationale via AP)

This photo provided on Monday Dec.16, 2024 by the Gendarmerie Nationale, shows fallen trees along a road Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024 in Mayotte as France rushed rescue teams and supplies to its largely poor overseas department in the Indian Ocean that has suffered widespread destruction. (Gendarmerie Nationale via AP)

This photo provided on Monday Dec.16, 2024 by the Gendarmerie Nationale, shows an armored vehicle of the Gendarmerie Nationale clearing a road Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024 in Mayotte as France rushed rescue teams and supplies to its largely poor overseas department in the Indian Ocean that has suffered widespread destruction. (Gendarmerie Nationale via AP)

This photo provided on Monday Dec.16, 2024 by the Gendarmerie Nationale, shows members of the Gendarmerie Nationale sawing a tree that fell on a road Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024 in Mayotte as France rushed rescue teams and supplies to its largely poor overseas department in the Indian Ocean that has suffered widespread destruction. (Gendarmerie Nationale via AP)

This photo provided Monday, Dec.16, 2024 by the Gendarmerie Nationale shows French Gendarmes clearing a road, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024 in Mayotte as France rushed rescue teams and supplies to its largely poor overseas department in the Indian Ocean that has suffered widespread destruction. (Gendarmerie Nationale via AP)

This photo provided Monday, Dec.16, 2024 by the Gendarmerie Nationale shows vehicles of the Gendarmerie Nationale driving on a road Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024 in Mayotte as France rushed rescue teams and supplies to its largely poor overseas department in the Indian Ocean that has suffered widespread destruction. (Gendarmerie Nationale via AP)

This photo provided Monday, Dec.16, 2024 by the Gendarmerie Nationale shows a vehicle of the Gendarmerie Nationale on a road Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024 in Mayotte as France rushed rescue teams and supplies to its largely poor overseas department in the Indian Ocean that has suffered widespread destruction. (Gendarmerie Nationale via AP)

This photo provided Monday, Dec.16, 2024 by the Gendarmerie Nationale shows a vehicle of the Gendarmerie Nationale clearing a road Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024 in Mayotte as France rushed rescue teams and supplies to its largely poor overseas department in the Indian Ocean that has suffered widespread destruction. (Gendarmerie Nationale via AP)

This photo provided Monday, Dec.16, 2024 by the Gendarmerie Nationale shows Gendarmes clearing a road, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024 in Mayotte as France rushed rescue teams and supplies to its largely poor overseas department in the Indian Ocean that has suffered widespread destruction. (Gendarmerie Nationale via AP)

This photo provided on Monday Dec.16, 2024 by the Gendarmerie Nationale, shows an armored vehicle clearing a road Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024 in Mayotte as France rushed rescue teams and supplies to its largely poor overseas department in the Indian Ocean that has suffered widespread destruction. (Gendarmerie Nationale via AP)

This photo provided on Monday Dec.16, 2024 by the Gendarmerie Nationale, shows a French Gendarme walking in among debris Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024 in Mayotte as France rushed rescue teams and supplies to its largely poor overseas department in the Indian Ocean that has suffered widespread destruction. (Gendarmerie Nationale via AP)

This photo provided Sunday Dec.15, 2024 by the French Army shows soldiers patrolling in a military truck in the French territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, after Cyclone Chido caused extensive damage with reports of several fatalities. (Etat Major des Armées via AP)

This photo provided Sunday Dec.15, 2024 by the French Army shows a soldier looking at damages in the French territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, after Cyclone Chido caused extensive damage with reports of several fatalities. (Etat Major des Armées via AP)

This photo provided Sunday Dec.15, 2024 by the French Army shows palm tress during strong winds in the French territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, after Cyclone Chido caused extensive damage with reports of several fatalities, Saturday Dec.14, 2024. (Etat Major des Armées via AP)

This undated photo provided by NGO Medecins du Monde on Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, shows a devastated hill on the French territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, after Cyclone Chido caused extensive damage with reports of several fatalities. (Medecins du Monde via AP)

This photo provided Sunday Dec.15, 2024 by the French Army shows soldiers patrolling in the French territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, after Cyclone Chido caused extensive damage with reports of several fatalities. (Etat Major des Armées via AP)

This photo provided Sunday Dec.15, 2024 by the French Army shows soldiers removing fallen trees in the French territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, after Cyclone Chido caused extensive damage with reports of several fatalities. (Etat Major des Armées via AP)

This photo provided Sunday Dec.15, 2024 by the French Army shows soldiers at work to restore a building in the French territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, after Cyclone Chido caused extensive damage with reports of several fatalities, Saturday Dec.14, 2024. (Etat Major des Armées via AP)

This image taken from video released by the Gendarmerie Nationale, shows massive damage from Cyclone Chido in the French territory of Mayotte, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (Gendarmerie Nationale via AP)

This image taken from video released by the Gendarmerie Nationale, shows massive damage from Cyclone Chido in the French territory of Mayotte, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (Gendarmerie Nationale via AP)

This photo provided Sunday Dec.15, 2024 by the French Army shows soldiers loading relief for the island of Mayotte, in the Indian Ocean, after Cyclone Chido caused extensive damage with reports of several fatalities, Saturday Dec.14, 2024 in Orleans, central France. (Laure-Anne Maucorps/ Etat Major des Armées via AP)

This photo provided Sunday Dec.15, 2024 by the Civil Security shows soldiers and rescue workers clearing a street in the French territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, after Cyclone Chido caused extensive damage with reports of several fatalities, Saturday Dec.14, 2024. (UIISC7/Securite civile via AP)

This photo provided Sunday Dec.15, 2024 by the Civil Security shows rescue workers clearing an area in the French territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, after Cyclone Chido caused extensive damage with reports of several fatalities, Saturday Dec.14, 2024. (UIISC7/Securite civile via AP)