One of the tensest films this year Pawn Sacrifice takes the prize for egoism, stare downs, insanity and arrogance. Although the acting in the film far outweighs any drama I’ve seen this year, it’s really not enough reason to see the biography of a man who single handedly faced off against a superpower using the game of chess. Only if you have an IQ of over 121 would you even care how the game is played or what move wins, the filmmakers want you to feel the pressure and the madness of it all. It’s not all about the game you see, but the man and his quest.
The film is basically a biography of Bobby Fischer (Tobey Maguire) who at the ripe old age of 6 turned the world on its ear by dominating the game of chess. Thought to be a very difficult game of war, most highly intelligent people pride themselves in knowing the right move to corner the most important chess piece, the King. The winner gets the bragging rights of taking down your country’s army and the prize of your queen as well. As for Fischer it’s more of an ego trip to be the best and be able to wear the crown. Thus begins his quest to take down Boris Spassky (Liev Schreiber), the Russian who holds the world title.
The film moves along at a decent pace introducing Bobby and showing his rise to the top. Director Edward Zwick (Love and Other Drugs) builds up tension while moving into each phase of the movie. Depicting the rants and vanity of the players as they work their way to a head to head match, Zwick interjects the facts and Hollywood fiction in an attempt to give his audience the “excitement” they deserve for plunking down the price of admission. However, he fails to connect with an audience that will walk away from the movie to tell their friends on Facebook that this film’s worth the watch.
Tobey Maguire develops a chaotic man who’s determined to be the best no matter how he’s perceived by the public. He’s brilliant in getting into the skin of the man and portraying the odd intricacies of Fischer’s personality, his asinine tactics meant to distract his opponents and the rants of a psychotic man. His performance far outweighs any character he has played and will probably put him on the short list for an Oscar.
Pawn Sacrifice has been rated PG-13 by the MPAA for brief strong language, some sexual content and historical smoking. The film also includes some rude behavior and very psychotic moments. Be cautious when deciding to allow immature children see the film.
FINAL ANALYSIS: For Tobey Maguire’s performance alone. (C+)
Additional Film Information:
Cast: Tobey Maguire, Liev Schreiber, Peter Sarsgaard
Directed by: Edward Zwick
Genre: Drama, Biography
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for brief strong language, some sexual content and historical smoking
Running Time: 1 hr. 54 min.
Release Date: September 25, 2015
Distributed by: Bleecker Street Pictures
Writer, critic, film editor John Delia, Sr. has been on all sides of the movie business from publications to film making. He has worked as a film critic with ACED Magazine for more than 20 years and other publications for a total of 40 years. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Florida. John is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association and Critics Association of Central Florida Send John a message at jdelia@acedmagazine.com
