The Featherweight

{{Infobox film

| image = The Featherweight film poster.jpg

| caption = Theatrical release poster

| director = Robert Kolodny

| producer = {{ubl|Bennett Elliott|Robert Greene|Asger Hussain|Steve Loff|James Madio|Abhayanand Singh}}

| screenplay = Steve Loff

| starring = {{plainlist|

James Madio
Ruby Wolf
Keir Gilchrist
Lawrence Gilliard Jr.
Shari Albert
Imma Aiello
Stephen Lang
Ron Livingston

}}

| music = Retail Space

| cinematography = Adam Kolodny

| editing = Robert Greene

| studio = Appian Way Productions

| distributor = Tribeca Films

| runtime = 99 minutes

| released = {{Film date|2023|9|3|Venice|2024|9|20|United States}}

| country = United States

| language = English

| budget =

| gross = $22,011{{Cite The Numbers|url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Featherweight-The-(2024)#tab=summary|id=Featherweight-The-(2024) |title=The Featherweight|access-date=October 11, 2024}}{{Cite Box Office Mojo|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl402948097/weekend/|title=The Featherweight|access-date=October 11, 2024}}

}}

The Featherweight is a 2024 American biographical sports drama film directed by Robert Kolodny, written by Steve Loff, and starring James Madio as professional boxer Willie Pep.{{cite magazine|last=Frater|first=Patrick|title=Leonardo DiCaprio's Appian Way and Singapore's Golden Ratio Producing 'Pep' Boxing Biopic|date=October 14, 2021|magazine=Variety|url=https://variety.com/2021/film/asia/leonardo-dicaprio-appian-way-golden-ratio-pep-boxing-film-1235088937/|access-date=November 21, 2021}} It premiered at the 80th Venice International Film Festival.{{Cite web |date=2023-07-13 |title=Biennale Cinema 2023 {{!}} The Featherweight |url=https://www.labiennale.org/en/cinema/2023/orizzonti/featherweight |access-date=2024-02-26 |website=La Biennale di Venezia |language=en}}

Plot

Set in 1964, a direct cinema camera crew follows Willie Pep, retired two-time world featherweight boxing champion. Now living in Hartford, Connecticut with his wife Linda, an aspiring actress half his age, a drug-addled son, his Italian immigrant parents, mounting debts and the feeling of faded glory ... Pep decides to make a return to the ring.{{Cite web |last=Saito |first=Stephen |date=2023-09-03 |title=Robert Kolodny's "The Featherweight" - Venice 2023 Film Review |url=https://moveablefest.com/robert-kolodny-featherweight/ |access-date=2024-02-26 |website=The Moveable Fest |language=en-US}}

Cast

James Madio as Willie Pep{{cite news|last=Day|first=Cassandra|title=Leonardo DiCaprio brings the story of Willie Pep, the boxing great from Middletown, to life|date=November 7, 2021|newspaper=The Middletown Press|url=https://www.middletownpress.com/middletown/article/DiCaprio-biopic-highlights-life-of-boxing-great-16596710.php|access-date=November 21, 2021}}
Ruby Wolf as Linda Pep
Keir Gilchrist as Billy Papaleo Jr.
Stephen Lang as Bill Gore
Ron Livingston as Bob Kaplan{{cite web|last=Grobar|first=Matt|title=Willie Pep Boxing Biopic Starring James Madio, Keir Gilchrist & Ron Livingston Set To Enter The Ring|date=September 29, 2021|website=Deadline Hollywood|url=https://deadline.com/2021/09/willie-pep-biopic-starring-james-madio-keir-gilchrist-ron-livingston-set-to-enter-the-ring-1234846827/|access-date=November 21, 2021}}
Lawrence Gilliard Jr. as Sandy Saddler{{cite news|last=Arnott|first=Christopher|title=Long-delayed movie about Connecticut boxing legend Willie Pep set to begin shooting in Hartford|date=October 26, 2021|newspaper=Hartford Courant|url=https://www.courant.com/ctnow/arts-theater/hc-ctnow-peo-movie-to-be-made-in-hartford-20211026-x6vfeqeasrcvnmx6aa46hhztue-story.html|access-date=November 21, 2021}}
Shari Albert as Fran{{cite web|last=Arnott|first=Christopher|title='Pep' movie, about Connecticut boxing icon Willie Pep, has started filming at St. Francis, West Hartford home, Hartford Club|date=November 9, 2021|newspaper=Hartford Courant|url=https://www.courant.com/ctnow/arts-theater/hc-ctnow-pep-film-shoot-20211109-jfxn42bd4ndnhkss3um2wczb44-story.html?outputType=amp|access-date=November 23, 2021}}
Imma Aiello as "Mama" Papaleo

Production

Filming occurred in Hartford, Connecticut in late 2021, utilizing real locations from Willie Pep's life.{{cite web|last=Altman|first=Jim|title=A touch of Hollywood in downtown Hartford; Camera rolls on Willie Pep film|date=November 17, 2021|website=WTIC-TV|url=https://www.fox61.com/article/news/local/hollywood-in-downtown-hartford-willie-pep-film/520-3254d1c5-0242-4c03-a40e-3c4be15602de|access-date=November 21, 2021}} Kolodny cast both professional actors and locals to heighten the nonfiction aesthetic of the film.{{cite web|title=Movie About Famed Connecticut Boxer Willie Pep Filming in Hartford|date=November 8, 2021|website=WVIT|url=https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/entertainment/the-scene/movie-about-famed-connecticut-boxer-willie-pep-filming-in-hartford/2645098/|access-date=November 21, 2021}} Aside from Robert Kolodny, who spent the years as a documentary cinematographer on films like Procession and All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, the team behind the film involved several celebrated filmmakers from the documentary community, including Steve James as executive producer and Robert Greene as editor.

Release

The film received a five-minute standing ovation at its premiere at the Venice International Film Festival.{{Cite web |last=Gyarkye |first=Lovia |date=2023-09-03 |title='The Featherweight' Review: A Poetic Tribute to Boxing Champion Willie Pep |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/the-featherweight-review-willie-pep-1235580359/ |access-date=2024-02-26 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}

It went on to be selected as the closing film of the 54th International Film Festival of India{{Cite web |last=Ramachandran |first=Naman |date=2023-11-07 |title='Catching Dust,' 'The Featherweight' to Bookend Goa Film Festival, Michael Douglas to Deliver Masterclass |url=https://variety.com/2023/film/news/catching-dust-the-featherweight-michael-douglas-goa-film-festival-1235781185/ |access-date=2024-02-26 |website=Variety |language=en-US}} and the showcase screening of the Museum of the Moving Image's First Look Festival. Robert Kolodny was awarded the prize for best director at both the Provincetown International Film Festival{{cite web|url=https://www.provincetownfilm.org/festival/awards/|title=Provincetown Film Society Institute Festival Cinema Awards|website=provincetownfilm.org}} and the RiverRun International Film Festival.{{cite web|url=https://www.yesweekly.com/film/riverrun-announces-2024-awards-banel-adama-wins-best-narrative-and-name-me-lawand-wins-best/article_f0585076-1143-11ef-92c5-bfdfa52b48c1.html|title=RiverRun Announces 2024 Awards: Banel & Adama Wins Best Narrative and Name Me Lawand Wins Best Documentary|author=Carpenter, Scott|date=May 13, 2024|access-date=September 22, 2024|work=Yes Weekly}}

The Featherweight was released in the United States by mTuckman Media on September 20, 2024.{{Cite web |last=D'Alessandro |first=Anthony |date=August 8, 2024 |title='The Featherweight': Willie Pep Boxing Movie From Appian Way Unveils Trailer, Sets Fall Release |url=https://deadline.com/video/the-featherweight-trailer-release-date/ |access-date=August 8, 2024 |website=Deadline Hollywood}} It was the highest-grossing film at the Quad Cinema during its opening weekend, where it sold out three evening shows on consecutive nights, causing it to be held over for an additional week.{{cite web | url=https://quadcinema.com/film/the-featherweight/ | title=The Featherweight }}

After its theatrical run, Tribeca Films acquired The Featherweight for streaming, worldwide.{{Cite web |last=Dunn |first=Jack |date=2024-11-20 |title=Tribeca Films Acquires ‘The Featherweight,’ ‘Born Hungry’ and Five Other Top Festival Titles |url=https://variety.com/2024/film/news/tribeca-films-acquires-festival-titles-born-hungry-family-therapy-1236214911/ |access-date=2024-12-20 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}

Reception

The New Yorker named The Featherweight one of the best films of 2024.{{Cite news |last=Brody |first=Richard |date=2024-12-05 |title=The Best Movies of 2024 |url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/2024-in-review/the-best-movies-of-2024 |access-date=2024-12-20 |work=The New Yorker |language=en-US |issn=0028-792X}} It received praise by Indiewire, who compared the cinéma vérité to John Cassavetes{{Cite web |last=Solomons |first=Adam |date=2023-09-03 |title='The Featherweight' Review: Robert Kolodny's Debut Film Is as Agile as Its Irrepressible Protagonist |url=https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/the-featherweight-review-james-madio-willie-pep-1234902073/ |access-date=2024-02-26 |website=IndieWire |language=en-US}} and Dana Thomas calling it a "mash-up Mean Streets and Raging Bull " in The Style Files.{{cite web | url=https://substack.com/@danathomas | title=Dana Thomas | Substack }}

{{Rotten Tomatoes prose|83|7.5|12|consensus=|access-date=September 21, 2024|ref=y}} {{Metacritic film prose |score=79 |count=five |access-date=September 21, 2024 |ref=yes}}

The New Yorker's Richard Brody said of The Featherweight "Kolodny’s film is a touching, disquieting, relentlessly fascinating view of a troubled soul and of the world of trouble he belongs to. It’s an instant classic of a boxing movie, with its closeup view of the inseparable agonies and passions of a sport that’s shadowed with death. It’s an absorbing journalistic glance behind the scenes at a once-famed historical figure. But, above all, it’s a work of critical cinematic history, of self-criticism regarding the practice of nonfiction film—and, as such, it’s a vital reflection on the present day."{{cite magazine|url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/the-featherweight-deftly-probes-the-mores-and-the-filmmaking-of-a-bygone-era|title="The Featherweight" Deftly Probes the Mores—and the Filmmaking—of a Bygone Era|magazine=The New Yorker|author=Brody, Richard|date=September 18, 2024}}