When one arrives at the top, the only way to go is down -- so the old saying goes. That’s Billy Hope’s story in Southpaw. Labeled “The Great” Hope, Billy (Jake Gyllenhaal) is the Light Heavyweight Boxing Champion of the World. He’s also married to Maureen (Rachel McAdams), a sexy and caring woman, and they have a beautiful daughter, Leila (Oona Laurence).

Unfortunately, Billy's glamorous house, big career, loving wife and daughter lose their reign when a tragedy changes his life. His career goes down the drain, his daughter is taken away, and he ends up homeless, drinking and angry.

Conversely, the only way from the bottom is up, so Billy struggles to get back up. When he saunters into Tick Willis’s (Forest Whitaker) gym, he’s given a lashing by owner Tick about his last fight and why he’s where he is at this point in his life. Forest brings some of his intense acting skills to his character, adding more drama to this plot.

Southpaw may not be the best film about boxing, but Gyllenhaal handles the role successfully. He captures Billy’s many battered faces and performs convincingly in Billy’s angry brawls. He also appears very real when Billy rejects Tick’s advice and agrees to fight contender Miguel Escobar (Miguel Gomez), who wants Billy’s title. Gyllenhaal did all his own stunts and never had a stand-in in the ring. He trained twice a day for the role. But it was the family plot that drew his attention.

“It’s a movie about family, father and daughter, and that’s the reason why I wanted to do it, but then I had to learn to box and trained five months for it,” Gyllenhaal said.

The actor’s charisma with McAdams is present in the beginning of the film, and his adoration for Leila seems always uppermost on his mind.

Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson plays Billy’s unreliable manager, who tries to step in again when Billy seeks redemption for the horrible things that have happened in his life.

McAdams’ take on Maureen is solid. She stands by her husband’s every decision but with a gentle hand in seeking his safety over career. She knows it’s her job to protect her family, which also includes their daughter.

Oona Laurence -- who’s been acting for several years and won a Tony-award for Matilda on Broadway -- is terrific as Leila, a daughter who loves her father deeply.

Brutal fight scenes make up a large part of this film, so anyone who might be bothered by them should think twice before seeing Southpaw.

(Released by The Weinstein Company and rated “R” for language throughout and some violence.)

Review also posted at www.reviewexpress.com.