Divya Rajagopal
TORONTO, Sept. 7 — “The Cut,” which premiered this week at the Toronto International Film Festival, stars Orlando Bloom as a retired boxer with a dark past trying to make a comeback, but it’s more of a psychological thriller than a traditional sports story.
Made on a shoestring budget, “The Cut” focuses on the inner conflict of a boxer, delving deep into the tenacity of the human mind and the effects it has on the body.
Bloom plays a boxer who must make some painful sacrifices to prepare for one last shot at fame and fortune in the ring. His opponent is a crazed coach, played by John Turturro, who relentlessly hunts him down and sees him as a pawn in his quest for glory. The film is peppered with flashbacks to Boxer’s abusive childhood.
For Bloom, embodying the character was clearly a physical challenge, and he had to starve himself to achieve the significant weight loss required for the role.
“It was tough to lose that much weight,” Bloom said Friday about his weight loss.
“I underestimated how hard it would be to make it in boxing. It takes a lot, but I’m grateful I was able to do it,” Bloom told the audience after a screening of the film.
The film also stars Outlander star Caitriona Balfe as Bloom’s character’s boxing gym partner.
Most of the film takes place in a hotel room, making it a challenging endeavor for director Sean Ellis, whose previous work includes crime drama “Metro Manila” and war film “Anthropoids.”
“I was terrified when I was trying to figure out how to get this shot,” he told the TIFF audience. “I had a zoom lens and I was in control of it the whole time. And once I started shooting, I just wanted to keep shooting.”
Turturro, whose extensive CV includes the 2023 TV series “Severance,” said his character reminded him of his own experiences with overly ambitious, scheming film directors who would stop at nothing to get what they wanted.
“I worked with some psychopathic directors in the ’80s who were very possessive and put people in dangerous situations,” he said. “That’s what happens in life, and bonds form.”
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