‘Jungleland’ treads old paths but still hits hard

When a small indie film uses the title “Jungleland,” it’s natural to expect that Bruce Springsteen’s famous tune will be heard. But, as with much of Max Winkler’s moody, tender movie, the answer is yes and no. There’s Bruce, but not the song you expected.

“Jungleland” is about two brothers trying to rise out of unrelenting misery. It’s also a road trip movie and a love story. It

has nods to “Rocky,” “The Transporter,” “Midnight Run,” “Pulp Fiction” and even the novel “Of Mice and Men.” And yet it’s moving and allegorical, lifted by wonderful acting.

Jack O’Connell of “Unbroken” plays Lion Kaminski, a boxer forced by circumstances to fight underground in bareknuckle bouts. His big brother Stan (”Sons of Anarchy” star Charlie Hunnam) is his cornerman, coach, masseuse, sparring partner and bookie. Lion does the fighting while the business is all Stan’s.

We meet them in New England as squatters, fighting bouts for a few hundred bucks a night and working at a sewing factory. But they have dreams — handmade Italian suits and silk shirts. “I can see our future when I close my eyes,” Stan tells his brother. They’re underdogs who

even own a dog, a whippet called Ash.

When a fight goes bad, they’re on the hook for thousands of dollars they don’t have. Mobsters offer them an alternative to getting their legs broken: Drive crosscountry to enter a no-holds-barred bare knuckle tournament called “Jungleland” for $100,000 — only if they also transport an enigmatic young lady ( Jessica Barden) to Reno, Nevada.

This very American fable has been blessed with three remarkable performances, two from England. Hunnam, as the dreamer, is all nervous energy, hunting and bluffed confidence. O’Connell, as the puncher, has no airs or facade, just a wounded man clinging to hope. And Barden is perfect as a young woman who knows more than she lets on but reveals kindness under her danger.