Jawbone

Jimmy McCabe (Johnny Harris) was a talented fighter, a former junior Amateur Boxing Association (ABA) champion, but he has squandered his talent trying to make a quick buck in the seedy world of unlicensed boxing. Now, he has lost his sense of direction. He is battling an addiction, adrift on a lonely journey, swimming in cheap booze.

To make matter worse, he is about to lose his home. The London high-rise estate on which he grew up, and where he still lives, is set to be demolished. With no family or friends, and a seeming inability to accept change, it looks as though life is beating down on Jimmy.

He is offered alternative housing, but he is angry and refuses to listen. An altercation with a security guard in the Housing Support Office ensues and Jimmy wakes up in a police cell.

Struggling with an emotional hangover, Jimmy visits the Union Street amateur boxing club and the people who had been so important in his early life. Despite Jimmy's dishevelment, trainer Eddie (Michael Smiley) welcomes him back. Jimmy approaches the manager, Bill (Ray Winstone), an immense presence, and is granted permission to hang out at the gym on two conditions: no alcohol, and no mention of unlicensed fighting in front of the amateur boxers.

When his home is boarded up he is left homeless and starts secretly sleeping in the gym. Realising that he's wasted his potential, Jimmy trains hard but he's in bad shape, physically and emotionally. A tough sparring match proves how far he has fallen. As a fighter, he is off the pace.

Still, penniless and with few options, Jimmy approaches Joe Padgett (Ian McShane), a man who fixes unlicensed fights. Jimmy lies and says he's in good condition. He wants to take on an accomplished fighter for a couple of grand. Joe agrees to set up a match against a tough and dangerous boxer in the north of England.

In a bid to get ready for the illegal fight, Jimmy stops drinking and begins training like a man possessed. He even drags himself to an AA meeting. But he is scared of facing the truth, and feels he cannot trust anyone. He refuses to speak up and ask for help. Even if he can complete the journey to recovery, the road will be long and littered with obstacles.

One night Bill waits for Jimmy to break in to the gym. He knows that Jimmy has been spending his nights there. A heart-to-heart conversation follows, revealing how close they had been during Jimmy's youth. Bill then breaks some devastating news.

As Jimmy struggles to come to terms with what he's heard, Bill reveals that he knows all about the unlicensed fight. Bill can't condone his decision to fight - he doesn't understand it - yet he still cares about Jimmy's wellbeing. Hence, Bill has asked Eddie to train Jimmy for the fight.

Jimmy and Eddie then work together, both men battling their personal demons. Their worlds darken and London is left far behind when they head north to the most brutal fight of their lives. The venue is a bear pit. The locals are partisan. The opponent is a killer. Jimmy must fight for his life.

Battered, exhausted and now truly at rock bottom, Jimmy finally lets his fear dissipate. As the vicious fight reaches its conclusion, the result is life changing...