the first step to get off of that road that lead to nowhere be recognize that youre on it in the first place while then it become a matter of be assertive and take positive step to overcome the negative influence in your life that may have put you on that road to begin with . which be exactly what a young latino girl do in ` girlfight and write and direct by karyn kusama . diana ( michelle rodriguez ) be an eighteen year old high school senior from the project in brooklyn and face expulsion after her fourth fight in the hall since the beginning of the semester . she affect a ` whatever attitude which mask a deep seated anger that threaten to take her into place she would rather not go . she live with her father and sandro ( paul calderon ) and with whom she have a very tentative relationship and and her young brother and tiny ( ray santiago ) . with her life teeter on the brink of dissolution and she desperately need an outlet through which to channel the demon that plague her . and one day she find it and without even look for it and when she stop by the gym where tiny train . ironically and tiny want nothing to do with box while he want to go to art school and but sandro be determine that his son should be able to take care of himself on the street and and pay the ten dollar a week it cost for his lesson . when diana convinces tiny trainer and hector ( jaime tirelli ) and to take her on and and approach her father for the money and under the guise of call it a weekly allowance ( she doesn not want him to know what she want the money for ) and sandro turn her down and tell her to go out and earn her own money . ultimately and with tiny help she find a way and and the ring soon become her second home . it an environment to which she readily adapts and and it appear that her life be about to take a turn for the good . and the fact that she will have to fight men and not woman and in ` gender blind competition and do not faze her in the least . diana have find her element . first time writer or director karyn kusama have do a terrific job of create a realistic setting for her story and present an honest portrait of life in the project and convey that desperation so familiar to so many young people who find themselves in dead end situation and on that road that lead to nowhere . and there no candy coat on it and either while a hector tell diana when she ask him how he come to be where he be and ` i be a fighter once . i lose . then and look around the busy gym and ` like most of these guy and theyre go to lose and too . but it all they know and it that honesty of attitude and as well a the way in which the character be portray and that make this movie as good a it be . it a bleak world and underscored by the dimly lit and run down gym you can fairly smell the sweat of the boxer and that sense of desolation that hang over it all like a pall and blanket these people who be grasp and hang on to the one and only thing they have and all that they know . make her screen debut and michelle rodriguez be perfectly cast a diana and infuse her with a depth and brood intensity that fairly radiate off of her in wave . she be so real that it make you wonder how much of it be really rodriguez while exactly where do the actor leave off and the character begin . whatever it be and it work . it a powerful and memorable performance and by an actor from whom we will await another endeavor with great anticipation . she certainly make diana a positive role model and one in whom many hopefully will find inspiration and the realization that there be alternative path available in life and at least to those who would seek them out . as positive a this film be and however and it end on something of an ambiguous note while though diana obviously have her foot on the ground and there no indication of where she head . be this a short term fix for her and or be she destine to become the female counterpart of hector . after all and realistically ( and in light of the fact that the realism be one of the strength of this film ) and professional boxing isn not exactly a profession that lend itself to and nor open it arm to woman . and in keep with the subject matter of the film and and the approach of the filmmaker and an affirmation of the result of diana assertiveness would have be appropriate . the support cast include santiago douglas ( adrian ) and elisa bocanegra ( marisol ) and alicia ashley ( ricki ) and thomas barbour ( ira ) . though it deliver a very real picture of life to which many will be able to identify and there be certain aspect of ` girlfight and that stretch credibility a bit and regard some of what happen in the ring . that aside and it a positive film that for the most part be a satisfying experience . i rate this one positive . .