One of the only American films at Cannes to really make a splash with critics has as its subject one of the most unlovable men in show business. James Toback’s documentary Tyson spends time with the famous ear-biting pugilist, a comprehensive look at his life both inside the ring and out. And now it’s one of the few Cannes movies we’ll probably get to see, being the first acquisitions at the festival by Sony Pictures Classics.
The Hollywood Reporter says Toback hopes to bring the film to festivals in the fall and release it sometime around the November elections, for reasons that aren’t really clear. (What does Mike Tyson have to do with politics?) But if critics like it as much here as they do over there, it’s probably a good plan—fall is, after all, the time when the good movies finally come out of hiding.
The pictures of Tyson from the festival are kind of hilarious, with a giant tattoo on his face but still wearing a white suit to fit in with the Cannes crowd. He’s an enigmatic guy to be sure, and given the spate of boxing biopics we were given back in the late-90s (Ali, The Hurricane), it seems high time we take a look at one of our more interesting modern-day celebrities.
