Creed is a damn good movie. That’s probably the best way to start this review given the characters’ propensity for speaking plainly and not beating around the bush. Directed with zeal by Ryan Coogler, buoyed by a great technical staff, and ferociously acted by Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson, and Sylvester Stallone, Creed is the year’s biggest surprise, a genuine crowd pleaser.
Films are said to be a series of contrivances that move the story forward and ones that audiences don’t mind. I can honestly tell you that there is nothing particularly new here in Creed and you can certainly figure out where the beats in the story are. But, this movie, like Brooklyn, trades in (unnecessary) narrative complexity for character detail. We know the journey, and that we will eventually reach some type of end, but what makes movies, and specifically Creed, work is that they imbue the film with strong character moments and trusts that the actors can sell the hell out of them. Which they do quite easily under the guidance of Ryan Coogler. Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone and Tessa Thompson lead an ensemble that doesn’t have a single weak link in it. I have been impressed by Jordan and Thompson before, but they step their game up another level in this film. I hope someone lets Jordan be a lead in a good romantic drama one day because no man does better at crying than him. There’s a moment in a jail cell that he shares with Stallone (the movie’s most powerful scene) that’s a master class in not acting, but being a character. Stallone is right there with him, managing to bring new wrinkles to an old character and thankfully, perfectly play the emotional stuff. With the trailers promising maximum weepiness, the movie and Stallone just allow the situations to be sad versus over emoting. It’s a brilliant choice, one that’s already paying dividends for Stallone in the awards season chatter.
Speaking of brilliant, what makes the movie truly work is the filmmaking. Coogler, who directed the Sundance hit Fruitvale Station, was the perfect choice for this movie. He has an incredible ability to ground characters in their worlds, giving off a great sense of place and feeling that helps us as an audience. We can cheer on Adonis because we’ve seen where he comes from, we know how invested the city is in him, the blood, sweat and tears of training. He still isn’t above over embellishment (the shot of the turtle, some of the choices in conversation editing) but he has grown from his last film in terms of shot composition, framing, and blocking. Coogler, supported in his quest by DP Maryse Alberti, also brings an intensity to the film via long takes that drum up tension and allow him to show off his filmmaking skills. It felt like we were really in the ring with those fighters and in the arena as they trotted out. I look forward to Coogler continuing to grow as a filmmaker because he understands how to really make the movies he directs sing.