Fighting with My Family (2019)

Directed by: Stephen Merchant | 108 minutes | biography, comedy | Actors: Florence Pugh, Dwayne Johnson, Nick Frost, Lena Headey, Jack Lowden, Olivia Bernstone, Leah Harvey, Jack Gouldbourne, Elroy Powell, Hannah Rae, Julia Davis, Stephen Merchant, Vince Vaughn, Ellie Gonsalves, Aqueela Zoll, Kim Matula, Ciaran Dowd, John Cena

Millions of viewers around the world love it: the wrestling shows of the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). The spectacle is broadcast in no fewer than 170 countries and is available in thirty languages. WWE is more entertainment than pure sport, although the wrestlers have all been trained to perfect their physical strength, fitness, techniques and stamina. But the wrestling shows remain pure entertainment and the matches are largely simulated. In WWE, the most important thing is not being the strongest of all or winning all your matches, but being popular with the crowd. Looking good and not being caught up in your mouth, obviously helps enormously with that. And with a bit of luck, after (or sometimes even during) your wrestling career, you’ll have a Hollywood career ahead of you. Just ask Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, John Cena, Hulk Hogan, Chyna and Ronda Rousey. Because if you can enhance your powerful personality in the ring, you can undoubtedly do that on the silver screen.

WWE star Paige may not have built up an acting career, but now has his own biographical film. Born into a real wrestling family, the British became the youngest ever female WWE champion in 2014 at the age of 21. Fans have long known how the light-hearted comedy drama ‘Fighting With My Family’ (2019) ends. However, that doesn’t make the journey to that undisputed climax any less entertaining. We meet Paige, actually called Saraya-Jade Bevis (and in the film Saraya Knight) and portrayed by the talented Florence Pugh, when she and her crazy family run a wrestling school in one of the poorer areas of the British city of Norwich. . Father Ricky (Nick Frost in biker mode) was once a talented wrestler, but after a serious case of public assault ended up in prison, after which he got sidetracked in sports. However, the love for the sport remained. Mother Julia (Lena Headey) was also once in the ring and they passed on the love for the sport to their three children (the eldest, Roy (James Burrows) is in jail just like Dad). Son Zak (Jack Lowden) is the strongest and most fanatic and dreams of one day competing in the biggest global wrestling league, the WWE. Saraya initially sees herself as a good sparring partner for her brother. When the WWE selection committee descends on London to see talents in action, she follows in Zak’s wake to impress the selectors: after all, what has she got to lose?

But then it turns out that the strict drill instructor Hutch (Vince Vaughn in a rather serious role for him) sees it in her but not in Zak. Or she goes to the WWE NXT academy in Florida, where the wheat will be further separated from the chaff and where the greatest talents will be primed for an actual breakthrough in the WWE. While Zak’s world is collapsing – this was his dream after all, and now his sister is going to take the credit that was meant for him – Saraya steps into the adventure. Between all the beautiful ex-models and dancers, she is an odd one out with her gothic look and British accent. Making friends is hard, the training is grueling and she misses her family terribly – especially her brother Zak. But she doesn’t answer her calls, because he can’t handle the confrontation. Especially now that he has just become a father, failure is very hard for him. Where will Saraya ever find the courage and strength to persevere and fulfill her family’s dream?

If you know that Stephen Merchant – indeed, Ricky Gervais’ buddy – is responsible for both the screenplay and the direction (and also plays a taciturn but hilarious role as Zak’s soon-to-be father-in-law), then you know a little bit about what show you can expect. The path the real Paige took was a lot more gradual and that the story has been romanized here and there for the film will come as no surprise. It is, of course, a familiar concept, the reluctant hero who has to struggle through all kinds of prejudices. We see that in many sports films. Despite that conventional premise and predictable course, ‘Fighting With My Family’ is far from average. The raw working class mentality of the British Knight family, with the accompanying, sometimes quite crude humor, forms a wonderful contrast to the WWE entertainment world. If Merchant hadn’t succumbed to a traditional Hollywood ending at the end (the climax with Paige’s match-up against the reigning Divas Champion, AJ Lee), the film would have been much more convincing.

Fortunately, the film never gets as bloated as the WWE, thanks in part to the fantastic cast, who know how to give warmth and integrity to their caricatural characters in addition to humor. Not only lead actress Pugh but also Lowden stands out in a positive sense. His disappointment, frustration and broken heart are palpable, but so are the love he feels for his sister and his passion for working with underprivileged youth in the amateur wrestling school he runs. He is the emotional heart of the film. Nick Frost steals the show as the mohawk-adorned paterfamilias, the type of rough husk white pit who is allowed to sprinkle with funny one-liners. Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson pops up a few times in a hilarious cameo as himself. Of course a film like this is a shameless game of self-smation, but due to the British approach (including musical collaboration from ex-Blur guitarist Graham Coxon – how British do you want it?) Merchant gets away with it without any problems.