Tyson (2008 film)
7.6 /10 1 Votes
Director James Toback Initial DVD release August 11, 2009 (Denmark) Duration Country United States | 7.6/10 IMDb Genre Documentary, Sport Music director Salaam Remi Writer James Toback Language English | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Release date September 14, 2008 (2008-09-14) (Filmfest Oldenburg)
April 24, 2009 (2009-04-24) (United States) Initial release March 27, 2009 (United Kingdom) Cast Mike Tyson , Kevin McBride , Tyrell Biggs , Monica Turner , Charlie Daggert Similar movies Southpaw , Varsity Blues , Real Steel , Cars , Million Dollar Arm , Good Will Hunting Tagline The man. The legend. The truth. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tyson 2008 official trailer
Former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson reflects on his tumultuous life both in and out of the ring. Filmmaker James Toback offers up a complex portrait of the man, as the two discuss Tysons time in juvenile detention, his relationship with mentor Cus DAmato, his boxing career, and the rape charge that landed him in prison.
Contents
Tyson is a 2008 documentary film about the life of former undisputed heavyweight world champion boxer Mike Tyson. It was directed by American filmmaker James Toback and produced by Nicholas Jarecki, Bob Yari, and Carmelo Anthony.
The film was publicly screened for the first time at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival and won the Regard Knockout Award at the Un Certain Regard event. Tyson was released on April 24, 2009, distributed by Sony Classics.
Director James Toback takes an unflinching, uncompromising look at the life of Mike Tysonalmost solely from the perspective of the man himself. TYSON alternates between the controversial boxer addressing the camera and shots of the champion's fights to create an arresting picture of the man.
Synopsis
This documentary is a self-discovery of a matured Mike Tyson, who reflects on his highly controversial and publicly viewed life. It begins with clips of 20-year-old Tysons convincing World Boxing Council Heavyweight Championship win over Trevor Berbick, then explores the fighters upbringing and motivation. It is revealed that he had a fractured family life and difficult childhood in Brownsville, Brooklyn, where his crimes led him to Tryon School for Boys in Johnstown, New York. A father-son relationship with his first professional trainer and only father figure in his life, Cus DAmato, is expressed as Tyson chokes back tears. He reveals his vulnerability when he relates the fear that he felt when DAmato died in 1985. Tyson was only 19 years old when he lost the one real parental figure in his life.
Tyson eventually unified the WBC, WBA and IBF title championship belts, becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. This turned into a traumatic event that was the root cause of Tysons many personal issues. Tyson makes it apparent that his great stardom at only the age of 20 was a blessing for him but also a curse. From his great achievements at such a young age to the eventual tangled web of his existence, Tyson is able to expose his contrasting flaws of mental instability, immaturity, lust for women and fear, all of which explain his downfall as a boxer and his controversial life. In the end, having fought a battle with fear in order to fight for his respect, Tyson is shocked by the outcome: a renewed respect for life and family.
Similar Movies
Fallen Champ: The Untold Story of Mike Tyson (1993). On the Ropes (1999). Mike Tyson produced Tyson and Champs. Shadow Boxers (1999). Facing Ali (2009).
Reception
It received high critical praise, scoring an 86% approval rating on the website Rotten Tomatoes from a pool of over 100 film critics.
References
Tyson (2008 film) WikipediaTyson (2008 film) IMDb Tyson (2008 film) themoviedb.org