Movie Review: No Pain, No Gain

Who's in charge of your mind?

Last night Nerissa and I watched the film Crash. A friend told me about it, I ordered the DVD, and we popped it in. We didn't know we needed seat belts for the flick.

It's intense. It stars a long line of greats, from Sandra Bullock to Don Cheadle to Matt Dillon. It's about stereotypes, prejudice, and anger. The movie left me feeling uptight, and it left Nerissa feeling depressed. It's a masterpiece of a movie, but not an easy one to sit through. So thank goodness I heard about the premier of No Pain, No Gain, an independent film which we just went to see today.

There hasn't been a popular bodybuilding movie in decades, not since Pumping Iron, which I only mildly enjoyed. I didn't know what to expect with this new one, but feared it might be boring. Even though I've transformed my body with bodybuilding, I don't find the modern sport, with all its steroids, freak bodies and false promises, to be alluring.

Still, I needed a break from my office reconstruction and Nerissa was game to go. So we went.

Whew. The thing is inspiring. The key character is a likeable guy with enough brains to confuse the scientist he admires. He also idolizes the noble days of ancient bodybuilding, where you used your mind to command your body to get the results you want. His challenge is to prove his theories and enter a competition where the current king is a roid-injecting jackass.

There's character, drama, tension, and a great story in this movie. The acting is less than ideal in most cases, but the lead character's actor (Gus Malliarodakis) has big star written all over him. His arch enemy in the movie (Dennis Newman) also gives a command performance. The rest are adequate, but believable.

Nerissa, who has worked on major films and has a sharp eye, pointed out that the movie was filmed in and around Austin. We used to workout in the gym where much of it was shot. And a magician friend, Brad Henderson, has a moment in the flick. The music is upbeat. I want the sound track. The story is ultimately inspiring. My favorite line is repeated a few times:

"Your mind controls your body, but you control your mind."

A friend of mine who has been into bodybuilding for decades didn't think the movie was that great. He was the only person in the theatre in his city watching it. Nerissa and I might have had eight others watching it in our city theatre. But this was an independent film with little promotion behind it. Had Mel Gibson promoted it, there would have been a crowd. But this movie isn't about Jesus, it's about a man with a dream.

It's about you.

I related to it.

I liked it.

I think you should see it.

After all, who is in charge of your mind?

Find out at http://www.no-pain-no-gain.com/

Ao Akua

Joe
www.mrfire.com