Shadow Glories is a powerful and distinctive commentary on the addictiveness of violence that its star and writer, Marc Sandler, spent 20 years struggling to get made. The film has a contemplative quality and Sandler has been fortunate in his choice of director, Ziad H. Hamzeh, whose work is controlled and expressive, and in the film’s setting, the old mill town of Lewiston, Maine. The superior camera work by Kurt Brabbee contributes strongly to making Shadow Glories a mature, accomplished work.

Sandler stars as Simon Penn, a burly, middle-aged, onetime champion kickboxer whose obsession with the sport nearly ruined him. Now he’s started a martial arts class to teach youngsters how to fight so they never have to. He’s in partnership with a forceful young woman, CJ Keyes (Sarah Rachel Isenberg), and is beginning to try to win back his wife (Linda Amendola). At the same time, CJ becomes increasingly determined to take on local boy Eddie “Killer” Kuzinski (Michael Denney), the kickboxing champ whom Simon, who barely lived to tell the story, faced down in the ring. Shadow Glories is strong, stylish and uncompromising with portrayals of depth and impact, especially by Sandler and Isenberg.

*Kevin Thomas is the premiere International film reviewer for The Times; one of two reviewers with the honor of choosing the paper’s yearly Oscar picks.