Klitschko

A fascinating documentary about two fascinating men, Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko, the Ukrainian-born boxing brothers who both rose to become world heavyweight champions but who have always refused to fight each other. Now hulking mountains of muscle, the Klitschkos were classic skinny kids encouraged to fight by their military father. They relocated to Germany after starting to win amateur fights, where they became not just world champions but also poster boys for boxing as "the noble art". Multilingual, self-deprecating and educated (each has a PhD), Wladimir and Vitali play chess together when they have down time. Director Sebastian Dehnhardt's ample access to the brothers, their families and entourage, allows a rounded portrait of the pair. We see the quiet rituals and loneliness of the changing room as well as the razzmatazz of the fight arena. There are moments of comedy, too - such as watching boxing promoter Don King trying to woo the brothers by playing them the overture to Mozart's Don Giovanni on the piano (both brothers noticing that it's the piano doing the playing, not King). And Dehnhardt explores how the brothers differ, the younger Wladimir taking advantage of the spoils of fame while the older, family man Vitali puts his energies into a political career. It's a touch long for non-fans, maybe, but it's an entertaining, informative, even delightful documentary that's got something for even the die-hard anti-pugilist.