Girlfight is a movie released in 2000. It was written and directed by Karyn Kusama.

Girlfight is a sports movie, above anything else. But not in the Anaheim Mightyducks and Waterboy genre, where you know all along that the underdog is going to make a superb comeback in the last 10 minutes. In Girlfight, Diana Guzman (played brilliantly and most talentedly by Michelle Rodriguez, who has recently been in the Fast and the Furious) is being raised by her father. Her and her brother struggle in relative poverty. Diana finds an outlet for her aggression by getting someone to teach her boxing, without her father - who would much rather Diana was a girly-girl - knowing.

The premise for the movie is quite simple, but it works very well - The character development is quite believable. The colours and camerawork are especially gritty, and it is particularly easy to sympathise with the situations and tribulations that occur. The acting is outstanding - one of the few movies where you don't for a moment stop and think that the actors are actors. These are real people, with real problems, real emotions, and real lives.

It isn't all good, however - in the last 15-20 percent of the movie it completely loses momentum and fizzles. In a world filled with action-movies and tripe, perhaps this is a good thing - it adds to the impression that this is a drama more than a sports and action film. A welcome change.

Overall, this is a movie about feminism, inspiration, and strength. It is about abuse, about love and about passion. It is a good film which is bordering on greatness. But definitely worth watching.

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