Emily Watson, the most gifted actor in cinema working today, gives another stunning performance, a performance of such power that it pummels the viewer with emotion to the extent that one is left limp in their seat at the film's conclusion. Reaching down to elevate Day-Lewis to her level, Ms. Watson bathes the screen in raw sexuality, passion, and beauty. Her heart is laid bare in this film and she tears open her very soul to allow her audience to witness the performance of a lifetime. Ms. Watson's beauty, her eyes so alive with life itself, her soft vulnerability are overwhelming. The screen is nothing less than electrified by her presence in this film and it is she alone who dominates all. It is a film that is well written, directed, and acted by a supporting cast, but this is film that belongs in the pantheon of Emily Watson screen triumphs and which will be remembered for all time due to what she bestows upon it. You will be left breathless and rocked to the core as Ms. Watson spiritually assaults your senses and drives you mad with desire, compassion, and pure adoration. In that sense, this is typical of any Emily Watson film. However, she brings out the best in Day-Lewis, just as she did Fiennes in Red Dragon and that inspiration and challenge she offers fellow actors is something new we are seeing in the profound efforts of Emily Watson. It is certainly welcome and does nothing to diminish her. In fact, it makes her own gifts and genius even more clear to all who love cinema.

This is a most excellent movie and should garner a higher rating. The acting is superb by everyone. This movie really opens your eyes to the day to day living conditions during the days when terror reined in Northern Ireland. It has a great plot and some good boxing scenes and more then enough tension for us old timers who still remember what that is. Yes the tension in this movie builds and builds to the final conflict between the forces of change and those that want things to stay the same. This movie is one that I could watch again immediately just because it is that good. I will add it to my growing collection. Some will find this movie slow moving and perhaps even boring but thats typical of todays movie goer's. They want to see the monster immediately and there must be at least 10 violent deaths per minute or they fall asleep and give the movie a bad rating.

This is a very good movie, although on a now familiar topic of the Northern Ireland conflict. Its greatness, though, stems from an extraordinary performance from that most extraordinary of movie actors, Daniel Day-Lewis.The strength of Day-Lewis's portrayal of the ex-con boxer who is released from to return to a city divided by war and police barriers, is in the silence of the character. Day-Lewis's ability to convey depths of emotion through a look, a nod, a glance, a hand movement, is what makes him perhaps the best actor working (when he decides to work) today.This role, and the excellent Emily Watson's performance, allow this movie to rise well above the potentially trite (though always riveting) subject matter to make this film most worthwhile.

Jim Sheridan and Daniel Day Lewis have teamed together in the the past creating exceptional films such as "In The Name of Father" and "My Left Foot", but, "The Boxer" unfortunately will not be added to that list. Though a decent movie and well worth watching, it just doesn't captivate like I'd hoped for. Daniel Day Lewis succeeds in portraying Danny Flynn, a former prestiged boxer and IRA member recently released from prison after a 14 year sentence. Upon his release his politics have changed and he seeks peace through training kids boxing at a local gym, much to the dismay of his former IRA "friends". Emily Watson plays his long lost and bitter lover, en-raged with him for leaving her. Both do fine jobs of acting but it feels like the chemistry just isn't there, plus, their history is never quite explained and leaves you frustrated at times. My real problem with the film is that Danny Flynn's character never truly develops, and all you really find out in this film is that he was a boxer, associated with the IRA and loves Emily Watson. It briefly tells that he was imprisoned for his involvement with the IRA, but never specifies. It's obvious Sheridan wanted to touch upon the theme of Prostestant and Catholics struggle in Northern Ireland to live with each other in harmony, but personally I feel he failed at doing so.