In Full Bloom

"Yes, this is a boxing movie, and yes, the theme of pride in the fight might make you think of 'Rocky' or 'Creed', but much superior in aesthetic and thematic terms, with violence both physical and psychological that is closer to Martin Scorsese's great 'Raging Bull'. However, the characters' struggle in 'La flor del combate', due to the socially and politically complicated period in history, takes place on a spiritual level, so images and editing refer us both to physical and tangible brutality on the body, as well as to a tussle of the soul with the pain of the past and the anguish of the future, in a visual style that is not far from Terrence Malick's ('The Tree of Life'). Even if the performances and script are not at such a high level, it is a powerful debut for the directing duo, Adam VillaSenor and Reza Ghassemi."