Tyson

I didn't know much about the man behind the Kid Dynamite persona of Mike Tyson's heyday. Since around 1990 things have turned sour for Mike, you could say he's fallen victim to bad P.R. what with the ear-biting and rape convictions, not to mention his string of defeats to lesser fighters. This documentary rewinds and unflinchingly tells all from his humble beginnings in Brooklyn through his successes, excesses and controversies.

It's an Icarus story if you will, Tyson is arguably the greatest boxing talent of all time but he peaked too soon and lost discipline. He's a simple man and you really need to be taken back to square one to appreciate who he is and what he has achieved. He is no longer the self proclaimed 'animal' he once was and he's not afraid to talk about his fears and discuss his vulnerabilities. This film was both touching and inspiring and about as far from a fairy tale as it gets. Tyson's story is about as real as it gets and although there are times that the style of editing gets a bit dreamlike and distracting, it's overall a great story to tell and it's thoroughly thoughtful and revealing. This story plays much like a real life The Wrestler. Funny at times and sad in many places, my favourite documentary of the year so far.

Now If I can only get my hands on a copy of Anvil! The story of Anvil. Damn customers.