In her directorial debut, Halle Berry takes on the role of a disgraced MMA fighter trying to prove “she still is Jackie Justice” in Netflix’s Bruised.
When the child she gave up suddenly shows up in her custody, Justice has to learn to live for two people than just for herself… and scrubbing toilets is not going to cut it.
Taunted by her glorious past, she returns to the MMA octagon as a shell of her former self.
And between those who still believe in her and those who belittle her about being slower, weaker, and older than her opponents, Jackie swings like a pendulum eyeing victory.
This gritty, powerful, and emotional rendition is a great insight into why women get into fighting.
Berry, who did her due diligence, found out that while most male wrestlers do it to be the breadwinner, female wrestlers do it to fight for their voice back.
Off-screen too, Berry replicates this fight — not just in zealously pursuing the role after Blake Lively turned it down, but also in redefining Hollywood’s set-up of what roles older women can take on.
What’s interesting is that when she was first given the script, it was written for an Irish Catholic woman in her 20s.
Berry’s spin on it was… could it be written for women like her? Where this opportunity to get back in the ring was not a “second chance” but their only chance.
Here, Jackie Justice was born.
Joining Berry will be Shamier Anderson, Adan Canto, Sheila Atim, Stephen McKinley Henderson, and real-life MMA World Championship winner Valentina Shevchenko. The screenplay is by Michelle Rosenfrab.
Bruised first debuted at the 2020 International Toronto Film Festival, after which Netflix snatched it for $20 million.
Set to release on the streamer on November 24, I can’t wait to kick it back to see Berry’s Justice kick it off!
P S: Berry trains in MMA and boxing in real life too! She is a badass all around.
About Bruised
The first film directed by Academy Award-winning actress Halle Berry, Bruised follows a former MMA fighter who tries to regain custody of her son and restart her career in sports.
Source: Youtube
No Comments on Halle Berry Knocks It Out as Bruised’s Director and MMA Fighter