Reversal

Reversal
by Alan Vint

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DVD Reviews of Reversal

DVD Review: More than it seems...
Summary: 5 Stars

As other reviews have mentioned, the wrestling action is very authentic. By using real collegiate wrestlers (instead of actors pretending to wrestle) the matches show off the speed, intricacy, and awesome physical demands required of the sport.

The wrestling mindset is also heavily explored here, with mantras like "hard work always pays off" and "the world is better for winners", writer/producer/cast member Jimi Petulla details the mental aspects of motivation, desire, and focus in a sport which is so unsympathetic about dividing the winners from the losers. Petulla plays the main character's father, who after feeling emotionally deserted by his own father, seeks to build his own son into an undisputed winner and champion who will not suffer the same pitfalls and frustrations he has had to endure in life.

The cinematography highlighting a small Pennsylvania coal-mining town is beautifully done, and the natural dialog between the characters enhances the realistic setting of Anytown, USA. One gets the feeling that this same story has been played out countless times in small towns across the country, and will continue to repeat itself as long as fathers & sons & sports exist.

One complaint I had was with the unclear motivation of the main character's rival (who I belive is played by a national chamption at 119lbs.). In some scenes he appears to be a compassionate team-player, and other times he appears as a cold, calculating aggressor willing to trample on his teammates to fullfill his own agenda. Perhaps that duality was meant to show the struggle that some wrestlers have in switching on and off the competitiveness instilled within them. Aggression on the mat is to be tempered by being a gentleman and good citizen off the mat - this is something I think most wrestling coaches preach, and Petulla displays that wonderfully through pep-talks to his peewee wrestlers and his own son early on in the film.

I would have liked to see more of the wrestling action, but utimately this film is not about wrestling alone. Also, I would have liked to see the alternate ending make the final cut, however the quality of the film and its unconventional ending left me satisfied in a bittersweet way.

Description of Reversal