Doesn’t go the distance

Against the Ropes
PG-13
Starting tomorrow at area theaters
Two reels out of four

Against the Ropes, the new biopic about maverick boxing promoter Jackie Kallen, marks the directorial debut of character actor par excellence Charles S. Dutton.

And although the movie is a nice first try for Dutton — who also has a role in the film — it suffers from a script that is all over the place and a somewhat miscast Meg Ryan in the central role.

Against the Ropes was inspired by the real-life story of Kallen, the most successful female manager in boxing history. She desperately wants to break free of her dead-end job and gets her chance when she discovers Luther Shaw (Omar Epps) after he beats up a couple of tough guys in a housing project.

With Luther as her only boxer, Jackie recruits retired trainer Felix Reynolds (Dutton) to teach Luther how to make the transition from thug to fighter. Although Luther and Jackie temporarily part ways, they soon realize they need each other to succeed in the brutal business.

Like most actors who turn to directing, Dutton opts for the character-driven approach. This is a good tack, something that served Miracle — the reality-based tale of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team — so very well. But, unlike Miracle, the film loses its focus early on and never really regains momentum.

Against the Ropes starts out being about Luther and Jackie, the two opposites who unite to achieve a common goal. Then it becomes more about Jackie as she focuses on herself rather than Luther. This might seem a necessary approach, but for a good 45 minutes, Luther fades into the background.

There is also the matter of Ryan’s performance. She is a commanding presence, to be sure, but she is wrong as the gutsy Jackie. And what’s with that lisp?

Yet despite its flaws, Against the Ropes does manage to ingratiate itself by dint of its own scrappiness. Yes, there are movie clich�s, but they are so rarely used these days that you’re almost happy to see them.

The movie even has a slow-hand-clapping scene. If you aren’t familiar with this, you obviously haven’t seen any teen movies from the ’80s. The phenomenon occurs when the hero, or heroine in this case, walks into a room unsure of the reception he or she will get. Then, one person starts slowly clapping his hands and the rest of the room joins in until the applause becomes deafening. The message is, "You won. We like you." It’s corny but, like much of the movie, effective.

Against the Ropes wants you to like it, and it often comes close. But it is too disjointed to come together at the end. Ryan’s miscasting doesn’t help.

The final result? Against the Ropes just barely loses the fight, with a split decision from the judges.

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Recommeded rental

Matchstick Men
PG-13
Available Tuesday

Matchstick Men is a good showcase for everyone involved. Nicolas Cage gets to remind people he can really act, Ridley Scott gets to show he can really direct and Alison Lohman and Sam Rockwell engage in some major-league scene stealing. Cage plays Roy Waller, an obsessive-compulsive con man whose life changes when he finds out he has a daughter from a brief, failed marriage in his youth. Soon, father and daughter (Lohman) are sharing everything, including scams. Imagine a cross between The Sting and Paper Moon with a healthy, or unhealthy, dose of modern neuroses, and that’s Matchstick Men in a nutshell.

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Movie schedules until Feb. 26 unless otherwise indicated. Call theaters for updates.

SOUTH PHILLY

United Artists Riverview Plaza
Columbus Blvd. and Reed St.
215-755-2219

*City of God (R)
Fri.-Tue.: 1, 4, 7, 9:55

*Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen (PG)
Fri.-Tue.: 11:30 a.m., 2, 4:30, 7:15, 9:50

*Eurotrip (R)
Fri.-Tue.: 12:15, 2:35, 5:15, 7:35, 10:05

*Against the Ropes (PG-13)
Fri.-Tue.: 12, 2:40, 5:20, 8, 10:40

*Welcome to Mooseport (PG-13)
Fri.-Tue.: 11:35 a.m., 2:15, 4:55, 7:45, 10:35

*50 First Dates (PG-13)
Thu.: 11:30 a.m., 12, 12:30, 1:15, 2, 2:30, 3, 4, 4:30, 5, 5:30, 6:45, 7:15, 7:45, 8:15, 9:15, 9:45, 10:15, 10:45
Fri.: 11:45 a.m., 12:30, 2:20, 3, 4:45, 5:30, 7:40, 8:15, 9:45, 10:10, 10:45
Sat.-Mon.: 11:45 a.m., 12:30, 2:20, 3, 4:45, 5:30, 7:40, 8:15, 9:25, 10:10, 10:45
Tue.: 11:45 a.m., 12:30, 2:20, 3, 4:45, 7:40, 9:25, 10:10, 10:45

*Barbershop 2 (PG-13)
Thu.: 11:45 a.m., 12:15, 12:45, 1:30, 2:15, 2:45, 3:15, 4:15, 4:45, 5:15, 5:45, 7, 7:30, 8, 8:30, 9:30, 10, 10:30
Fri.-Tue.: 11:40 a.m., 12:35, 1:20, 2:10, 3:35, 4:05, 4:35, 6:10, 6:40, 7:25, 8:50, 9:30, 10

*Catch That Kid (PG)
Thu.: 11:30 a.m., 12:05, 1:45, 2:20, 3:55, 4:40, 6:20, 8:40
Fri.-Tue.: 12:05, 2:25, 4:40, 7:05

*Miracle (PG)
Thu.: 12:50, 4:05, 7:20, 10:25
Fri.-Tue.: 12:10, 3:25, 6:30, 9:40

*You Got Served (PG-13)
Thu.: 1:15, 3:45, 6:05, 7:50, 8:25, 10:15, 10:45
Fri.-Tue.: 12:25, 1:15, 2:55, 3:45, 5:05, 6:05, 7:30, 8:25, 10:15, 10:50

*The Butterfly Effect (R)
Thu.: 11:40 a.m., 2:15, 4:55, 7:30, 10:35
Fri.-Tue.: 11:55 a.m., 2:30, 5:10, 7:50, 10:25

*Mystic River (R)
Thu.: 11:50 a.m., 3:10, 6:25, 9:55
Fri. & Sun.-Tue.: 11:50 a.m., 3:10, 6:25, 9:50
Sat.: 11:50 a.m., 3:10, 9:50

*Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (PG-13)
Thu.-Tue.: 12:40, 4:50, 9:10

*Along Came Polly (PG-13)
Thu.: 11:45 a.m., 2:10, 4:35, 7:15, 9:35 (Ends 2/19)

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CENTER CITY

Ritz at the Bourse
400 Ranstead St.
215-925-7900

*The Statement (R)
Fri.-Thu.: 1:30, 4:15, 7, 9:45

*Touching the Void (NR)
Fri.-Thu.: 12:15, 2:40, 5:05, 7:30, 9:55

*The Fog of War (PG-13)
Thu.-Thu.: 12:30, 2:50, 5:15, 7:35, 10

*Triplets of Belleville (PG-13)
Thu.-Thu.: 12, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10

*Monster (R)
Thu.-Tue. & Thu.: 12:15, 2:45, 5:15, 7:45, 10:15
Wed.: 12:15, 2:35, 4:50, 10:15

*Japanese Story (R)
Thu.: 12:15, 2:40, 5:05, 7:30, 9:55 (Ends 2/19)

*To Be and to Have (NR)
Thu.: 12, 7:30 (Ends 2/19)

*The Cooler (R)
Thu.: 2:30, 5:10, 10:05 (Ends 2/19)

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Ritz 5
214 Walnut St.
215-925-7900

*The Dreamers (NC-17)
Thu. & Sun. & Tue.-Thu.: 12:15, 2:45, 5:15, 7:45, 10:15
Fri. & Mon.: 3, 5:15, 7:45, 10:15
Sat.: 2:45, 5:15, 7:45, 10:15

*The Company (PG-13)
Thu.-Fri. & Sun.-Mon.: 11:45 a.m., 2:20, 4:45, 7:30, 10:05
Sat.: 11:45 a.m., 4:55, 7:30, 10:05
Tue.-Thu.: 11:45 a.m., 2:20, 4:50, 10:05

*21 Grams (R)
Thu.-Fri. & Sun.-Thu.: 11:40, 2:10, 4:50, 7:30, 10:15
Sat.: 2:10, 4:50, 7:30, 10:15

*My Architect (NR)
Thu.-Thu.: 11:30 a.m., 4:45, 7:20

*Lost in Translation (R)
Thu.-Thu.: 2:15, 10:10

*In America (R)
Thu.: 12:30, 2:45, 5, 10
Fri.-Thu.: 12:30, 2:50, 5:10, 7:30, 9:50

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Ritz East
Second Street between Chestnut and Walnut
215-925-7900

*The Girl with a Pearl Earring (PG-13)
Thu.: 12:30, 2:50, 5:10, 7:30, 9:50
Fri.-Thu.: 12:30, 5:10, 7:30

*The Cooler (R)
Fri.-Thu.: 2:50, 9:50

*Big Fish (PG-13)
Thu. & Wed.-Thu.: 1:45, 4:30, 10
Fri.-Tue.: 1:45, 4:30, 7:15, 10

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Roxy Theater
2023 Sansom St.
215-923-6699

*Mystic River (R)
Thu.-Fri. & Mon.-Tue.: 4, 7, 9:35
Sat.-Sun.: 1, 4, 7, 9:35

*Whale Rider (PG-13)
Thu.: 7:30, 9:45
Fri. & Mon.-Tue.: 5:30, 7:30, 9:45
Sat.-Sun.: 1, 3:15, 5:30, 7:30, 9:45

*The Big Bounce (PG-13)
Thu.: 5:30 (Ends 2/19)