‘Ali’

Will Smith finds his stride as ‘The Greatest.’   [R]

By: Kam Williams

Will Smith beefed up for his heavyweight champion and cultural icon Muhammad Ali

   I have to admit, I was somewhat skeptical when I heard Will
Smith signed on to play Muhammad Ali.
   First, I feared the Fresh Prince’s irrepressible clown act
would overwhelm Ali’s infinitely more complex personality. Second, a re-created
biographical film seemed unnecessary since so many archival newsreels and videotapes
of the champ are readily available. As one of the most documented figures of
our time, the instantly recognizable Ali is as familiar as family.
   It turns out Ali is as moving a tribute as any documentary
one could have compiled from the actual file footage. The film comes courtesy
of Michael Mann, the picky perfectionist whose last film, The Insider
(1999), a searing exposé of the sinister tobacco industry, was nominated
for seven Academy Awards including Best Picture.
   Expect Mann, himself a three-time Oscar-nominee, to garner
another nod for this alternately entertaining, informative and uplifting biography.
Kudos are also in order for scriptwriter Gregory Allen Howard (Remember the
Titans) for a digestible distillation of The Greatest that humanizes while
necessarily reducing his larger-than-life persona.
   The movie covers a critical decade in Ali’s life, starting
in 1964 when, as a brash bad boy named Cassius Clay, he took the heavyweight
title from the seemingly invincible Sonny Liston. This endearing personal portrait
details the loudmouth kid’s metamorphosis into Muhammad Ali, the principled,
politicized role model willing to place his ideals above his boxing career.
   We see his conversion to Islam represented something far more
profound than a mere name change. It was prompted, in part, by the rampant racial
discrimination that had alienated him from his own country. We also learn that
his association with the Black Muslims was itself difficult and, in turn, affected
his longstanding relationships with friends and family.
   A defining moment arrives in 1967, when an outspoken Ali opposes
the war in Vietnam. Drafted by the U.S. Army, he refuses to join up, explaining
that, "Ain’t no Viet Cong ever called me ‘Nigger!’ " Summarily jailed and stripped
of his title, Ali was virtually bankrupted by the ensuing legal battle brought
against him by the government.
   The balance of the film revolves around Ali’s quest to regain
not only his championship belt but also his dignity. Out of the public eye,
he finds himself all but abandoned by his fans and even by the Nation of Islam.
Will Smith comfortably exhibits considerable emotional range in delivering Ali
at the extremes of devoted family man and shameless flirt, bodacious boxer and
devout Muslim, second-class citizen and adored celebrity.
   While Smith will certainly garner an Oscar nomination for
his performance, the stellar supporting cast deserves its due. Standouts include
Oscar-winner Jon Voight as sportscaster Howard Cosell, Ali’s favorite foil for
years, and Jamie Foxx as Drew "Bundini" Brown, the champ’s colorful cornerman
who coined the trademark phrase, "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee!"
Will’s real-life wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, plays Ali’s first wife, while Nona
Gaye (daughter of late crooner Marvin) plays his second.
   Mario Van Peebles appears as Malcolm X, Ron Silver as trainer
Angelo Dundee, Mykelti Williamson as Don King, LeVar Burton as Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr., Paul Rodriguez as fight doctor Ferdie Pacheco, boxer James Toney as
Smokin’ Joe Frazier and real-life TV sportscaster Jim Gray as a reporter.
   Michael Mann has spared no expense on a production, which
cost way more than $100 million to complete. Filmed at faithfully re-created
locations in Miami, New York, Chicago, Houston, L.A. and, of course, Africa,
where the action culminates in what its fright-wigged promoter billed as "The
Rumble in the Jungle."
   During the protracted, pre-fight hoopla, the chant "Ali Boma
ye!" (Ali, Kill him!) becomes the rallying cry of everyone in Zaire. The slogan
is yelled at Ali by passersby, squealed by the children who accompany him in
his roadwork and is graffitied onto elaborate murals, crescendoing by fight
night as an almost national imperative. There’s no dry eye in the house as the
people’s support inspires Ali back into shape for his fateful showdown with
Goliath, a previously undefeated George Foreman.
Rated R. Contains sexual elements, periodic profanity, racial epithets and
lengthy fisticuffs.