A Prayer Before Dawn
One would think that in a cinematic world including Rocky and Raging Bull there would hardly be any room for yet another boxing movie. One would also think with Jean-Claude Van Damme’s obsession with Thai martial arts movies no-one would think it wise to even venture into a very similar territory. Yet, A Prayer Before Dawn – based on the extraordinary true story of Billy Moore, a young boxer incarcerated in some of Thailand’s most notorious prisons – with its brilliant film-making manages to leave a very lasting impression.
The movie deals with the daunting and horrific world of drugs, gang violence and one person’s journey to conquer his demons and remove himself from the hell on Earth that these Thai prisons are depicted to be.
Joe Cole delivers an outstanding performance as a boxer that uses Muay Thai boxing to savagely fight his way to overcome the odds.
The movie is not an easy watch with very strong imagery used throughout, but for fans of boxing or gritty action cinema it is definitely worth a watch.
★★★★
Reviewed by Joseph Rana
