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Film by Ian Busby Girlfight Directed by Karyn Kusama Starring Michelle Rodriguez, Jaime Tirelli, and Santiago Douglas Angry and full of pent up rage, Diana Guzman (Michelle Rodriguez), the central character in Girlfight, constantly has a chip on her shoulder. She's looking for a fight, and when she can't get the satisfaction of fighting in school, at home or on the street, she finds it in a boxing gym. Guzman's anger gives her enough energy to earn her time with a grizzled, past-his-prime trainer, despite his objections to working with a woman. Still, she must control her rage if she’s to succeed in the ring. With an abusive father, a brother who’s a pushover and a shallow group of friends, Guzman has plenty of people in her life that fuel her anger. But somewhere under the rage lies a young woman who wants a way out of the projects and off the street. Girlfight won the grand prize at this year's Sundance Film Festival because it rides the pure emotion of newcomer Rodriguez, who lights up the dingy, grimy world of a hole-in-the-wall boxing gym. The hostility with which she plays Guzman is just a cover-up for an insecure teenager who's not as tough as she looks. Her father is a source of constant trouble for her. Not only does he force her timid brother into boxing, he makes it clear Diana is not becoming the type of woman he wants her to be. Still, she forges on with fighting and soon finds herself stepping in the ring with boys. And it’s at the gym where a promising, hunky boxer catches her eye, and he changes her outlook on life. Director Karyn Kusama captures the details of boxing and the gym very well. The film has a chilly, grungy look and the setting isn’t sugar-coated. Kusama doesn't pull any punches, and her characters express genuine emotion. The film could have easily become a predictable foray into "girl power" politics, but it doesn’t rely on the regular stereotypes – although the story includes a battle of the sexes theme, gender isn’t the only issue at hand. Girlfight isn't about fighting other people, it's about combating one’s emotions and growing into adulthood. The real fight in life is sometimes not in the boxing ring, but in the squared circle of one's mind.

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