When you hear the words “boxing movie,” your first thought may be of something punchy and upbeat. On second thought, however, it’s startling to consider how much pain is built into the genre, and how downbeat a lot of boxing movies are. “Requiem for a Heavyweight” was an elegy that crawled through the underbelly of the prizefight world. “Rocky,” one of the most inspirational movies of its time, still ends with Rocky losing. “Raging Bull” has the tragedy of Shakespeare crossed with the violence of a psychotic Mob saga. “Million Dollar Baby” was a Christ parable. And last year, the Toronto Film Festival showcased “The Fire Inside,” a boxing
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