Bernard "Bang Bang" Rozyski (Tim Blake Nelson) is a washed-up boxer living in quiet defeat. His daughter, now married to a woman, drops off her teenage son from a previous relationship, hoping a few weeks with Grandpa will toughen the boy up. Bernard, still trapped in his past glory, starts training him but the lessons in the ring hit the same walls as the ones in life. The story circles old ghosts, an abandoned house, a long-gone rival and the ache of unrealized dreams.
The problem is, the film can't decide what it wants to land. It floats somewhere between a family redemption story and a cautionary tale about fathers who push too hard, yet neither fully connects. Nelson, who's often brilliant in side roles (he stole scenes as Peanut Butter), just doesn't have the gravity here to carry an entire film. His performance feels like shadowboxing; plenty of motion, not much impact.
By the time the film delivers its "message", that fathers forcing their sons into boxing usually end up breaking more than bones, it's too late. The buildup doesn't serve the conclusion and the emotional punch never lands.
Bang Bang keeps sparring with ideas it never commits to and the result is a movie that forgets to throw the one thing that matters most: a clean hit.
