There’s a barometer that is used for a particular genre, which has Raging Bull at one end, and Rocky at the other.

The genre is, of course, the boxing flick, and another weighing in is this directorial debut from English actor Jack Huston.

As he wakes in his New York apartment, Mike (Michael Pitt) is aware he has a big day ahead of him, culminating in taking part on the undercard of a big fight at Madison Square Garden.

He’s used to the big occasion, having been a world champion, but he hasn’t been on this kind of world stage in ten years.

The reason for the huge gap is that he’s haunted by his past, on a number of fronts, so much so that he feels he needs to confront his demons before going into the ring. And he knows going into it, that it’s also likely to be his last fight, so everything is riding on it.

You get a fair indication of where director Huston wants his film to appear on the boxing barometer, as he filmed it in black and white, which is both brave and audacious, considering Scorsese did the same with Raging Bull. He also had a role for Joe Pesci, who plays Mike’s father, who just so happened to also appear in Scorsese’s classic.

The primary difference here though however, is the focus isn’t so much on the boxing, but the path of redemption that Mike sets himself up for, for the rest of the day.

It’s a day that sees him visit a number of important people in his life, as he attempts to make amends with everyone and atone for his sins, quite literally at one point with one friend who is now a priest at the local church.

Pitt plays the punch-drunk protagonist well; he’s a simple man, with a past he carries constantly on his back. He has a 13-year-old daughter, with a woman with whom he was deeply in love with, but they're no longer together.

The fact that it all takes place in a day is a nice touch, as we’re introduced to important figures in this fighter’s life throughout the following hours, as we edge closer to the big fight.

Huston’s direction is solid throughout, and although the black and whiteness of the visual palette is appealing, it only makes direct comparisons with Raging Bull all the more obvious, and that’s just a contest it’s never going to win, which is a shame, as the truth is, it’s a very different film.

Thanks to Pitt’s subtle performance it has some emotional weight to it, and Huston makes a hard-hitting directorial debut, albeit one that perhaps punches above its weight by taking on some true heavyweights of the ring. Imitation may well be flattering, but it’s not terribly original.