Michael Pitt, Ron Perlman and director Jack Huston discuss their boxing drama Day of the Fight

The cast and filmmaker discuss working with Joe Pesci, Steve Buscemi and others in this film inspired by Stanley Kubrick’s short documentary.

Boxing films stand out from other sports dramas because of the sheer energy and underdog spirit they bring to the screen. Out of Rocky To Angry bull, The legacy of films about the sweet science has fascinated viewers for decades. In 1951, the young director Stanley Kubrick made a short documentary film entitled day of battle, It followed middleweight boxer Walter Cartier as he prepared for a fight at Madison Square Garden in New York. Actor Jack Huston was fascinated by this film and wrote a film with the same title, but which depicted a very different lead-up to a prize fight.

Day of the fight is about Mike Flannigan (Michael Pitt), a former boxing champion who spent years in prison after an accident killed a child. With a chance to redeem himself in the ring, Irishman Mike travels through New York City to make amends with people from his past while putting himself in the right mindset to step into the squared circle. On his journey, Mike reunites with friends (John Magaro and Steve Buscemi), his father (Joe Pesci), his daughter’s mother (Nicolette Robinson) and his trainer Stevie (Ron Perlman). As Mike comes to terms with his life, he also prepares for what may or may not come next.

I had the opportunity to speak to the cast and filmmakers behind it Day of the fight. Co-star Nicolette Robinson discussed her method of centering her character in such an emotional story and the music that put her in the right position for the role. Ron Perlman talked about working with Jack Huston and Michael Pitt and whether he based his character on iconic characters or actors from film history. Star Michael Pitt spoke about how grateful he was that Jack Huston turned down bigger budgets to keep him in the lead role after a tough time in his real life. Jack Huston talked about his first time directing and how he brought together a great cast. He also talked about a particular scene in the film between Michael Pitt and Joe Pesci, which may be one of the best single scenes of the last decade in film history. Check out the full interviews in the embed above.

Day of the fight plays now. Read our REVIEW!

About the author

Alex Maidy has been an editor, columnist and critic at JoBlo.com since 2012. A Rotten Tomatoes-recognized critic and member of the Chicago Indie Critics, Alex was JoBlo.com’s featured TV critic and published columns such as Top Ten and The UnPopular Opinion. When he’s not thrilling fans with his steamy interpretations, Alex is an avid reader and aspiring novelist.