I love (Meg Ryan), but not some of her works lately. Here, the problem is in the script. It's solid one but totally not a new one or trying to be (At least a star like Ryan must've known better !). The thing is that there was an intention for making a movie about North America's most famous female boxing promoter (Jackie Kallen). But with non factual story. So when they select of all the themes a fictional one that's close to (A Star Is Born)'s formula, then I must feel so bored before getting to veto powerfully ! I hate to say it but the whole thing seemed predictable. I waited for different details for the characters or the events to just find different outfits for (Ryan) ! The director (Charles S. Dutton) handled it fine but had to make video clips at places since the script gave him nothing unique to do, just a middling material (The last 10 minutes was the only too fine sequence). The music was good but at a few moments. The sensitivity itself wasn't well made inasmuch as abbreviated, not to mention weak points; for instance the separation between the 2 leads was done so strangely and for trivial matters, therefore moments like seeing (Ryan)'s character at the arena in the last match, with greeting her respectfully from the honest report's character, was overdone, too emotional in the wrong place, and looked like a ghost for counterpart moment in (The Natural - 1984)! And I thought that Meg's apology and encouragement speech after could've been something less blabber or totally wordless; meaning more cinematic, less weak (for instance she raises a board with Go and Win written on it, then Epps heeds her surprising while she looks at him crying regretfully), or anything else. (Tony Shalhoub) did it good, but I felt that he wasn't scary enough in the first place. (Omar Epps) is so aggrieved, the movie dealt with him the lousy way Jackie did at one point (making all the show about her only !). (Kerry Washington) is adorable and so hot, but seriously how to talk about her since originally there isn't saturated or satisfactory anyone or anything in this script!. It looked like "the movie of the week" stuff while it's a Hollywood movie with Big star. To be fair, it's not bad at all, but it surely lacked what could make it distinct, original, and sentimental. Still the best about it is (Ryan)'s too many flashy colorful clothes, and her sexy present all the time, while your assured feelings that her eyebrows and her lips look weird, her voice suddenly changed into husky, her age became older than her characters, and that there is something not right about this phase of her career. (Meg) I still love you, please choose better next times. I can't finish it without one sly remark : on the top of its soundtrack you'd find "Out of Touch".. As a description for the movie itself.. I couldn't agree more !

The movie focuses to Jackie Kallen(Meg Ryan), a Jewish girl from Detroit, a secretary plenty of wide dreams. After a stake with a famous commissioner(Tony Shalhoub)she becomes a boxing promoter of a young boxer(Omar Epps).Then she hires a retired coach(Charles S. Dutton) for training the inexperienced boxer.Although is a fictional story is based on true events referred by United States's most noted boxing manager. In addition, are narrated her relationship with the tough boxer, her fight to survive into boxing world, a sport strongly dominated by male sex. It's developed with humor, love and a little bit of drama. The casting is frankly excellent, a sympathetic though selfish Meg Ryan, a two-fisted but sensible Omar Epps, today well known as the doctor in ¨House¨, such as Tony Shaloub by ¨Monk¨series; furthermore Jose Cortese and Tim Daly(son of James Daly and brother of Tyne Daly) as a sports reporter. The motion picture packs an enjoyable cinematography by Jack N. Greene( Clint Eastwood's usual cameraman) and catching soundtrack by Michael Kamen(Weapon Lethal, Die hard). The movie is professionally directed by usually actor Charles S Dutton in his first movie, he has followed directing television movies. Rating : Acceptable and entertaining . The film will like to Meg Ryan fans and boxing buffs but displays nice combats.

Meg Ryan pulls a great performance as the underdog of this movie. Playing a real person is never easy and being a woman in boxing holds as much discrimination on its own without adding that she works it with sex appeal. You can't hate a story when it comes from true events and both Shaloub and Ryan pull off their characters with finesse. Don't hate her because she's not in her much loved romantic comedy persona; love that she pulled off the Midwestern girl honoring her father's memory and her uncles love with dedicating her life to boxing. Comparing Omar Epps to Tom Hanks is so inappropriate in this film. There is never meant to be a love connection between Epps and Ryan. It's more of a mothering relationship; the son she never had and the mothering he never received. You are either going to love or hate this movie. Be assured you'll watch it till' the end and will have an opinion one way or the other.

Sloppy, sentimental boxing comedy-drama is based on successful female boxing manager Jackie Kallen's tough rise to the top ('loosely inspired' seems a more appropriate term). Meg Ryan plays Kallen with a streetwise edge in her voice and is appropriately cast, but her outlandish wardrobe certainly belies the salary of a glorified secretary, and Tony Shalhoub embarrasses himself as a 'Godfather'-styled kingpin of the boxing mecca (he dresses and talks like John Gotti, but only seems to have one client). Charles Dutton directed, and his own performance as the veteran trainer (yet another cliché) is at least warmly thought out--ironically, it's the best acting here. "Ropes" is a lackluster film, put together and distributed as if nobody involved had a hope in hell for it. The boxing scenes are slapdash, with Ryan walking right across the ring at one point to deliver a last-second pep-talk to Omar Epps, the kind of conspiratorial speech that is older than dirt (why doesn't she just say, "Win one for the Gipper"?). Omar's rise to success is swifter than a bad odor, which is pretty much what this misfire leaves in its wake. *1/2 from ****