Former fighting champion and martial arts school owner Alex (Bren Foster) is forced to put his skills to the test when he stumbles into the path of a vicious gangster (Luke Ford).
Jesus H Roosevelt Christ! What a picture.
Written and directed by Bren Foster, Life After Fighting is a one of the best action films I have seen in recent years.
I heard about it last year, but was only able to catch sup recently - I wish I got to see this one on the big screen!
Made on a low budget in Australia, the film is a welcome addition to the siege subgenera, as our hero is forced to fight an army of goons who attack his training school.
In the lead, Foster is effective - boasting great physicality, he also sells the character's growing exhaustion and pain. This is a character who has been fighting for decades and Foster plays into that history - he may move with speed and power, but every exertion feels like it could be his last.
This is a meat and potatoes action story, but it is good eating.
Rarely do you see a film with genuinely hissable antagonists - Life After Fighting gives us a couple contemptible malcontents so morally hideous their spectacular deaths are gloriously cathartic.
Foster shows a real talent for shooting fight sequences - he shoots wide in extended takes, but he knows when to punch in or change angle to create maximum impact.
Bolstered by some great, bone-crunching sound design and Jason Fernandez's synth score, Life After Fighting never lets up.
There is something pleasingly old-fashioned about the picture. We get a few flashes of Alex's fighting skills (including an impromptu fight with an old rival) early on, but the first hour is a slow-burn, before the film kicks into high gear for the finale.
The cast are effective - Luke Ford is particularly impressive as Alex's nemesis Victor. Despite no martial arts skills, he brings a genuine sense of menace to what could have been a cookie-cutter villain.
Life After Fighting became a cause célèbre in the action community last year, and one hopes it gives Foster more opportunities to showcase his talents.
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