Blue Blood

Oxford is not generally associated with boxing, but every year its team goes head to head with the hated Cambridge. Those selected for Oxford are awarded Blues, a prestigious mark of personal achievement. This engrossing study follows five prospective Blues, all new to boxing, as they go on a journey of self-discovery. Kavanagh is a scrawny philosophy student who couldn’t be more different from Justin, an American with boundless reserves of can-do attitude. Fred wants to get in touch with his edgier side, while Boiler seeks his father’s respect. The enigmatic, opera-singing Charlie, with his wry crooked grin, simply wants to see something through. Working class builder Des has precious few weeks to mould this unlikely combination into fighters. Even those with no interest in boxing will find themselves caught up with strong narrative and characters on an arc of development in this film, all of which provides a beautifully classical model of documentary construction.

A film that puts athletics back in perspective, and on a human scale.

Variety