Girlfight
2000
***½
Director: Karyn Kusama
Cast: Michelle Rodriguez, Jaime Tirelli, Paul Calderón, Santiago Douglas, Ray Santiago, Víctor Sierra, Elisa Bocanegra, Shannon Walker Williams, Louis Guss, Thomas Barbour
Diana Guzman, a troubled teenager from Brooklyn, decides to defy gender stereotypes and familial expectations by channeling her aggression into boxing. Karyn Kusama's directorial debut doesn't break new ground, but it is a likeable sports and coming-of-age drama with some romantic overtones. Michelle Rodriguez gives a very strong performance in her screen debut.
