PUNCH

New Zealand, 2022, 98 minutes, Colour.

Tim Roth, Jordan Oosterhof, Conan Hayes.

Directed by Welby Ings.

Punch is a New Zealand film, set in a small town.

The film focuses on a 17-year-old, Jim (Jordan Oosterhof) who lives with his father, manual worker, former boxing champion, alcoholic. No sign of wife or mother. The father and son have ambitions for Jim to be a champion boxer, a lot of the film focusing on father training his son, but an antagonism between them, especially because of the drinking. Tim Roth is convincing as the father.

The film is also about gay relationships. One of the characters at school is Maori Whetu (Conan Hayes), taunted at school, condemned as a faggo0t. He stays alone in a shack out by the sea, hoping to leave the town for Australia, composing songs.

Jim is stung by a jellyfish and Whetu helps him, changing the attitudes in each, their bonding, Jim visiting, becoming more aware of his sexual orientation. But, while Whetu is spurned at school, he is also bashed and raped, hospitalised. This brings out more compassion in Jim and leads to a sexual encounter. Which leads to Jim and his condemnation of homophobia in the town.

Further complications when men in the town want to manage Jim and his fight, offer him a more professional coach, Jim condemning his alcoholic father and moving out – and not knowing that his father has terminal cancer.

Dramatically, the final fight does not go as might have been anticipated, some supporting his father – and a finale with Jim, making music videos, supporting where to as he sings to an appreciative audience.

1. The title? Boxing? Domestic violence? Homophobic attacks? The final fight?
2. The New Zealand setting, the town, homes, clubs, the countryside, the shack, interiors, the musical score?
3. Jim’s story, 17, relationship with his father, his father as a champion boxer, no mother? The initial scenes, the boys and play, the wings, punching with his father? The transition, the ambition to be a boxing success, his explanation to Whetu about what life was like in the ring, his complete control? His father’s drinking, the clashes, the training? School? The girls? Whetu? Jim and his training, along the beach, stripping, running, Whetu and the dog, Jim’s antagonism? In the surf, photography, the jellyfish sting, Whetu helping him, going to the hut, Jim’s gratitude? Returning visits, the bonding between the two, the attraction, the sexual attraction? His confrontations with his father, the managers, the money, the betting, the new coach? Moving out of home? His reaction to the attack on Whetu, the visits to the hospital? Cleaning up the shack? Whetu’s return, the bonding, the affection, the sexual experience, the consequences? Jim and his avoiding Whetu at school, his attempted apology? The burning of the car and his helping? The news of his father’s cancer? The fight, his father’s collapse, getting out of the ring? His continued encouragement of Whetu, the final song, his making the video? His future?
4. Stan, past champion, relationship with his son, training him, the fight, the drinking, collapse, the manual work, losing his job? The doctor, the diagnosis, months to live? His not telling Jim? Drinking, giving up? Jim taking on the other coach, moving out? Returning home, lying on the bed? The collapse of the bout?
5. Whetu, Maori, gay, school, loner, homophobia, his shack, the decorations, singing, composing? At school and the attacks, faggot? Jim and his disdain, the jellyfish sting, his helping, Jim at the shack, the bonding, the walks, Jim distancing him at school, Whetu hurt? The attack, brutal, the rape? Hospital, leaving hospital, the crutches, back home, Jim, the dog? The bonding, sexual? The revenge on the attackers, the burning of the car? His aim to leave, go to Sydney? The finale, his singing, Jim and the video?
6. The clubs, boxing, the training, his father coaching Jim, the other coach, the bets, the demands of the coach, dominating Jim? The fight, Jim leaving the ring?
7. School, the girls, the taunting of Whetu in the classroom, the sympathetic teacher trying to help?
8. A humane story, family relationships, gay relationships, homophobia? And a sports story?