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Jordan Oosterhof left nothing on the table with Punch, as he gives an emotionally and physically vulnerable performance as a young pugilist who is growing in his sexuality and self-identity. Though the “name” actor in Punch is Tim Roth, the film is anchored by the work of Oosterhof and co-star Conan Hayes. How does Oosterhof live with “reckless abandon?” You will find out after checking out the interview!
Punch centers on Jim (Jordan Oosterhof), a teenage boxer who has been trained for years by his loving and demanding dad Stan (Tim Roth). Stan is an alcoholic, which understandably leads to friction and a bit of distance between the two. Whetu (Conan Hayes) is Jim’s gay classmate, and their growing friendship serves as the narrative spine of Punch.
Punch features immersive and lived in performances from Oosterhof and Hayes, and thankfully the movie (pardon the pun) doesn’t pull its punches in dealing with the homophobia experienced by Whetu. Tim Roth is always a dependable actor, so the movie’s biggest surprise lies in the central performances and Welby Ings’ surehanded direction. My interviews with Ings and Oosterhof are featured on the Find Your Film podcast:
I compliment Oosterhof on his performance, and it really felt he put everything into the role. “The attraction to acting is not because I want attention for fame,” said Oosterhof. “I truly think that if I try and put myself in this mentality. And try to live these moments, even though they are not real, as truthfully as I can, I kind of feel like I’ll learn about both myself, the character, the world, life itself. What it is to be human. Learning through ‘reckless abandon,’ that’s how I’ll phrase it (laughs).”
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