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The Fire Inside tells the story of real-life boxing legend Claressa “T-Rex” Shields, who became the first woman to win an Olympic gold medal in boxing. Written by Barry Jenkins (2016’s Moonlight) and directed by Rachel Morrison (cinematographer on 2017’s Mudbound and 2018’s Black Panther), the story follows Shields (Ryan Destiny) and coach Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry) from Flint, Michigan, to the Olympics and back again. Destiny shines in a dynamic role as a boxer, sister, and daughter. Henry is simply an outstanding actor, so at ease even when frustrated, and he centers the film while serving as an anchor in Shields’s life. The film follows a predictable course up to her winning the gold medal, but Jenkins’s script wisely does not end at the Olympics. It shows the aftermath, as the protagonists struggle to get endorsements for Shields from companies not ready to support women athletes—namely badass boxers—who do not fit their gender-biased expectations (gymnasts or beach volleyball players). Morrison approaches her feature directorial debut with an artistic eye, lingering on shots of life in impoverished Flint, the town a central character in itself. Some of the dialogue, however, is almost laugh-out-loud silly, and Jenkins did not take enough time to explain any intricacy of the sport or coaching. At one moment during a gold-medal Olympic fight, Shields says, “What do I do?” which undermines her ability. Shields’s lauded fight for equality for women boxers gets a one-off line and onscreen text at the end of the film. PG-13, 109 min.
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