“Hands of Stone” may very well be the fastest-paced biopic I’ve ever seen! Jonathan Jakubowicz blazes through the backstories of prolific boxer Roberto Durán (Edgar Ramírez) and his prolific trainer, Ray Arcel (Robert De Niro). The rush is to get to Durán’s epic showdown with “Sugar” Ray Leonard (Usher Raymond IV), which is then rushed through to get their iconic rematch, which is then rushed through to get to Roberto’s comeback match following his controversial retirement. There’s enough material here for a mini-series, but instead it’s all crammed into a too-tight hour and forty-five minute runtime.
After a corny introductory meeting between Durán & Arcel (one that involves a cheesy plug for Baskin Robbins), the film backtracks to Roberto’s humble beginnings. He grew up in Panama during a time of war between them and the United States. He’d steal mangoes from trees to feed his family, soon street fighting at a young age to earn money. After getting arrested, he’s rescued by Plomo (Pedro ‘Budú’ Pérez) who trains him to be world champion. And before you can even get comfortable with this backstory, you’re thrust into him becoming just that.
Oh sure, there’s time spent on his courting of his eventual wife, Felicidad Iglesias (Ana de Armas, faring better here than she did in “War Dogs”). Even that is rushed, showing him as a persistent loon who somehow wins her heart by beating down her senses. I’m sure there was more to it, but the pacing cripples their courting and eventual relationship. The film cuts back constantly to their marriage, always showing them fighting and then quickly making up. Due to the montage heavy way the editing treats them, their marriage comes off as more emotionally abusive than anything else. There are numerous times where he’s caught cheating or lunging at her, only for her to forgiven him in the next scene. At least the montage produces a clever sequence in which she gives birth to child after child, each one named Roberto Durán (I imagine the girls were named Roberta).
Ray Arcel doesn’t fare much better. There is quick mention of his legendary training status throughout the fifties and sixties, not only managing the world’s best boxers, but also bringing boxing to a global level. There’s a flashback to him being assaulted by the mafia for betraying them (boxing was meant to be a New York sport), leading him to retire. He comes out of retirement to train Durán, curbing the mafia by doing it for free. The only conflict is the occasional appearance by Frankie Carbo (John Turturro), whose sole purpose is to mumble dire threats that go nowhere. Also going nowhere and serving no purpose is the reveal of his long-lost daughter, Adele (Drena De Niro, Robert’s adopted daughter). His current wife, Stephanie Arcel (Ellen Barkin), knew nothing of this and apparently doesn’t care. I’m starting to suspect there was a lot of material left on the cutting room floor. Again, this would’ve made for a better mini-series.
The rest of the film consists of Durán’s ego getting the best of him, Arcel trying to contain him, Roberto’s manager Carlos Eleta (Rubén Blades) screwing him over, “Sugar” Ray Leonard being awesome, and Durán’s downfall and eventual comeback. As individual scenes, they’re all good, anchored by strong performances all around. Usher is the standout, embodying the charisma and charm of Leonard to a tee. He’s struggled to prove himself as an actor, but defied the critics here. A shame he doesn’t get enough time to shine. Again, this being a mini-series would’ve solved that.
I can’t harp on that idea enough. There is no reason why the biopic of Roberto Durán shouldn’t have been a mini-series! There’s more than enough material to justify it, let alone multiple seasons worth. Panama’s political struggles are of high importance in Roberto’s story, with it paralleling his career as he acts as that country’s personal Robin Hood. In the confines of this film, it’s merely a backdrop to hang the drama on. There’s no impact when the country turns on him after he retires mid-match against Leonard (though Durán denies ever saying “No Más” to this day), nor is there any gratification when he successfully wins them back. Everything feels underdeveloped; broken up into snippets as opposed to being fleshed out.
Hell, Ray Arcel deserves his own mini-series! His battles against the mafia to bring boxing into the mainstream is ripe for the picking, yet is reduced to a quick narration beat here. Even his relationship with Durán is undercooked. There are numerous times where he comes to his trainee’s defense, sticking up for him against his corrupt manager and the venomous media. None of it resonates though because it feels like hackneyed dialogue. There’s no effort put into their emotional investment, at least none of which is seen on screen.
Both Roberto Durán & Ray Arcel deserve a better biopic than this! Give them both the mini-series they deserve!
Final Rating: C+