Orthodox DVD Review: “An intriguing boxing-crime drama”

Director: David Leon

Starring: Stephen Graham, Michael Smiley, Rebecca Callard, Giacomo Mancini, Christopher Fairbank

The last time I watched Stephen Graham he was on screen in Boardwalk Empire playing a baby-faced, volatile Al Capone. These qualities stand him in good stead for this low-key debut feature from actor-turned-helmer David Leon. Graham takes the lead as Benjamin, an unconventional character from the orthodox Jewish community, who makes his way in the world using his fists rather than his reason.

Having opposed his upbringing by resorting to violence in order to solve his problems, he has been nurtured by slimy surrogate father Shannon (Michael Smiley), who’s made money from Ben’s “talents” as a bare knuckle boxer. Graham is trapped in this lifestyle due to his butcher’s shop’s mounting debts and it’s about to get worse. His parasitic mentor puts him in hot water when he sends him on a dirty errand for “The Company”, the murky side of religious leader Goldberg (Christopher Fairbank)’s business empire. Ben winds up jailed for four years, emerging to head back under Shannon’s wing with nowhere else to turn and blind to Smiley’s role in his fall from grace.

What sets Orthodox apart is its setting. Usually, on film, when you see guys with kippahs on their heads they’re men of peace. Ben is far from it, being a man of faith but also a brutal enforcer. The context of the story, where devout religion meets hard business and the implications of this, raises some interesting questions, forming the most interesting part of the drama. Overall however the focus is on Graham and Smiley. As Ben takes a lowly position at Shannon’s gym, young drifter Daniel (Giacomo Mancini) replaces him as the manipulator’s number one son, at which point matters start coming to a head.

This is a powder keg of a scenario, yet Leon opts for an understated approach. In particular there are two key and rather harrowing developments that occur off-camera, a decision which for me deprived the movie of much-needed rawness. Often less is more, but I felt in this situation the audience had to live through the hardships with the characters. As a result, we dip in and out of the action rather than facing it full on.

What is achieved is a sense of oppression and menace, underlined by Simon Robbs‘ sinister electronic score. Orthodox is not naturally a pleasant film to watch but it doesn’t have the great characters and performances to give it heft. Having said that Shannon is a truly appalling creation and you spend a lot of the running time waiting for him to get his comeuppance. Graham can always be relied upon to deliver the goods, ensuring poor Ben can be warmed to despite the pile up of bleak locations and craggy faces. (You’d think this was London, but north easterner Leon shot the tale around Newcastle and Hartlepool.)

The team can be applauded for bringing, possibly, the world’s first Jewish boxing-crime drama to the screen. In some ways it’s a promising start to a director’s career but I just wish Leon hadn’t danced around the ring so much and gotten a little more stuck in with heavier blows.

Orthodox is out to own on DVD and Blu-ray this Monday 16 May.