The Plot: It’s 1995 and English boxer Chris Eubank is at the top of his game as world middleweight champion. Undefeated in professional bouts up to this point, he basks in the glory of success and willingly defends his title against a number of ambitious contenders. Among these is a boxer from working class Cabra called Steve Collins. Collins has the guts and the ambition to be the next champ, guided on by health shop guru Tony Quinn as his coach. The title challenge will be decided in an unlikely place: the Millstreet venue in rural Cork, a world away from the glitz and glamour of the boxing world…
The Verdict: There’s just something about the combination of boxing and movies that goes together well, like a smoothly-fitting boxing glove. While there have been fictional stories of the underdog in the ring like Rocky, there are also the real-life stories that are even more interesting. And so it is with One Night In Millstreet, a thoroughly engaging documentary that recounts a famous moment in not only boxing history but Irish history too. It takes a green-tinted and slightly cheeky nostalgic glance back to a time in 1995 when the Celtic Tiger was barely waking up. However, there were significant footballing and Eurovision successes at that time and this being Ireland, we would grab onto any international success, run with it into the hills and shout it out for all to hear. Olé, olé, olé indeed.
One Night In Millstreet is really a story of two very different and distinct personalities. In one corner there’s the supremely confident Chris Eubank, who fully plays into the pumped-up image of a professional boxer with years of street smarts and nothing left to prove. In the other corner is Steve Collins, the scrappy Irish contender who has limitless self-belief and physical strength guided on by his hypnotist coach (!). Long before they even enter the ring, director Andrew Gallimore spends time detailing the rituals of rivalry as Collins counteracts Eubank’s English gentleman by portraying himself as a country Irish gentleman straight out of Darby O’Gill And The Little People. There’s a cute dance of psychological mind games at play here which suggest a pre-match thought process beyond just the obvious brawn. As Collins puts it, it wasn’t just a match to him. It was about him taking on the whole damn establishment.
Collins and Eubank both make for engaging interviewees, clearly enthusiastic about recounting the 12 rounds of that fateful night. Collins knew what he was up against, but did Eubank? There’s certainly a hint that the undefeated Eubank didn’t know what to make of his opponent, in hindsight showing a respectful humility and giving credit where due. That’s sportsmanship. Gallimore fills out the rest of the story with an engaging cast of supporting characters, from Barry McGuigan’s astute observations to a journalist who had followed Collins’ career and the scene stealer of the film – the Millstreet venue owner who delivers the most Irish response possible to bringing international boxing to the countryside. Gallimore also scores points in the ring by making a film that is as accessible to those who don’t necessarily follow the boxing scene as the avid enthusiasts. If there’s a fault, it’s that it’s a tad short and ends a bit abruptly. As sporting documentaries go, One Night In Millstreet is more engaging and less reverential than most and packs a mighty Irish punch from the Celtic Warrior. Recommended.
Rating: 4 / 5
Review by Gareth O’Connor
In short: A mighty punch
Directed by Andrew Gallimore.
Starring Steve Collins, Chris Eubank, Barry McGuigan.