Just Saw Halle Berry’s MMA movie Bruised

I just saw the premiere of Halle Berry’s MMA movie, Bruised, at the Toronto International Film Festival.  There weren’t as many MMA cameos as I expected.  It premiered at a Drive-In and I didn’t have the best view, so I may have missed some cameos.  Valentina Shevchenko has the biggest role.  Halle Berry fights Valentina for the Invicta FC title.  Oddly, Valentina plays an Argentine and not someone from a former Soviet Republic or Eastern Europe as is the usual trope for combat sports movies.  Gabi Garcia has a notable part.  Yves Edwards and Julie Kedzie play Invicta FC commentators.  Amanda Nunes and Keith Peterson have cameos and I believe I saw Overeem in one scene, but I may have been mistaken.

As for the movie, it was perfectly fine.  It is a drama, with only one real MMA fight.  The fight had a good mix of technique, with good mix of striking, grappling, grinding against the cage and clinch work.  My only critique of the fighting is that it was too clean a fight.  All of the strikes were perfect and on target.  Passing guard, sweeps, submission attempts, all came too easy.  No one fought to secure or defend a submission.  Everyone escaped with too good of a technique.

The movie was just bought by Netflix and should be streamable on the platform before the end of the year.

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Dude I am pumped for this

Was Dan the Wolfman in it?

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perfectly fine as a descriptor does seem consistent with your description. I am personally okay with a perfectly fine MMA movie

Tittalianos?

JoeHurley -

Was Dan the Wolfman in it?

I do not know.  But I admit, I wouldn't be able to pick him out of a crowd.

yomamafool -

perfectly fine as a descriptor does seem consistent with your description. I am personally okay with a perfectly fine MMA movie

I enjoyed the movie.  Was it revolutionary?  No.  Was it cringeworthy?  No.  The acting is strong.  There are some parts of the story that are glossed over, and subplots totally forgotten, but nothing that would make the movie unwatchable.  I think some people will love it and some will hate it, but most will think it was a perfectly fine movie.

As a MMA fan, I was more worried about how the sport would be portrayed.  There are problems, especially with the depiction of how MMA training actually occurs, but it is understandable within the scope of a movie.  The sport isn't shown as a slugfest.  For the most part, the fighters show good and varied, although oversimplified technique.  I think most MMA fans will be supportive of the movie and happy with how the sport is portrayed.

I was also very happy that they didn't make up some fight league for the movie.  I hope that it brings more eyes to Invicta FC and the great work that they do for women's MMA.  I just hope that those people don't assume the movie accurately depicts how Invicta gives out its title shots, or go to Atlantic City to try and catch an Invicta FC fight card.