01 · The clean way in
King's Gym is a drama film released in 2013, directed by Barry Jenkins. Its premise is concise but suggestive: Oakland, California's "boxing gym of champions" is showcased here, its historic walls lined with posters for matches boasting past regulars from George Foreman and Joe Frazier to Gina Guidi. Though the crowded environ may be one of sweaty, noisy machismo, director Barry Jenkins' surprisingly lyrical miniature uses a delicate piano score and slow motion images to enter a contender's solitary headspace. Context opens the door, but attention does the real work—especially when the film starts rearranging what seemed important at first.
