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Facing Ali

Facing Ali

Documentary · 2009

Ten of Muhammad Ali's former rivals pay tribute to the three-time world heavyweight champion.

Movie details

Facing Ali

2009 Documentary 1h 40m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.4 / 10

Community rating

Ten of Muhammad Ali's former rivals pay tribute to the three-time world heavyweight champion.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Facing Ali?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

Zero Days

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The Cave

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Disclosure

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Bobby Robson: More Than a Manager

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The definitive portrait of one of sport's most inspirational, influential figures - whose legacy lives on far beyond the football field.

Welcome to Chechnya

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This searing investigative work shadows a group of activists risking unimaginable peril to confront the ongoing anti-LGBTQ program raging in the repressive and closed Russian republic. Unfettered access and a remarkable approach to protecting anonymity exposes this under-reported atrocity–and an extraordinary group of people confronting evil.

Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson

Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson

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Fueled by a raging libido, Wild Turkey, and superhuman doses of drugs, Thompson was a true "free lance, " goring sacred cows with impunity, hilarity, and a steel-eyed conviction for writing wrongs. Focusing on the good doctor's heyday, 1965 to 1975, the film includes clips of never-before-seen (nor heard) home movies, audiotapes, and passages from unpublished manuscripts.

The Fog of War

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Using archival footage, cabinet conversation recordings, and an interview of the 85-year-old Robert McNamara, The Fog of War depicts his life, from working as a WWII whiz-kid military officer, to being the Ford Motor Company's president, to managing the Vietnam War as defense secretary for presidents Kennedy and Johnson.

The Kid Stays in the Picture

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Inside Deep Throat

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Documentary · 2005

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Pete McCormack

George Chuvalo

George Chuvalo

Self

Henry Cooper

Henry Cooper

Self

George Foreman

George Foreman

Self

Larry Holmes

Larry Holmes

Self

R

Ron Lyle

Self

Ken Norton

Ken Norton

Self

L

Leon Spinks

Self

Court is in session

Put Facing Ali on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Auteur Devotee

“Ambition earns the room.”

The film reaches for consequence and scale, accepting the risk of seriousness instead of shrinking from it.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Importance has entered the chat.”

The production keeps announcing its significance, as though awards-season posture were proof of insight.