Pawn Sacrifice

Starring: Tobey Maguire, Liev Schreiber, Michael Stuhlbarg, Peter Sarsgaard, Alexandre Gorchkov, Lily Rabe, Robin Weigert
Directed by: Edward Zwick
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama
2015

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: American chess prodigy Bobby Fischer (Tobey Maguire) battles his crumbling mental health as he prepares for a showdown with the Soviet chess champion (Liev Schreiber).

Review:

Tim: I've always been fascinated by Bobby Fischer. The guy was clearly a genius in his way, and yet, he also suffered from serious mental issues as well. As so often happens, genius and madness seem to be two sides to the same coin. I really enjoyed this look into Fischer at perhaps the biggest moment of his career, as he went up against the Soviets. The film itself is solid. It might not really get to the heart of Fischer, but it's very interesting to watch.

One of the highlights of the film is that you really start to understand what went into Fischer's famous battle with Spassky. We see the immense preparation he undertakes- at one point, he mentions that he's studied every game the Russian chess players have ever played. His absorption and understanding of the game were unparalleled. I loved seeing this preparation- and the mental toll it took. We also see the efforts of his friend, Bill to keep Bobby in a good place mentally. That was not an easy task. We see the efforts his whole team takes to meet his demands and put him in the best place to take on the Soviets. The behind-the-scenes work is fascinating and it's one of the most intriguing aspects of the film.

Tobey Maguire was well cast as Fischer. Maguire is a talented actor, but an unconventional one- there's not a lot of roles where he perfectly fits. This is one of them, as Maguire balances the genius of Fischer with his descent into madness. He was incredible in the role and I can't imagine anyone else playing it better. It was an exceptionally strong performance that Maguire deserved more recognition for playing. I loved seeing Liev Schreiber here, but lamented that he didn't have more to do. It's deep into the film before he utters his first word. I would have liked more time to explore his character. We get a little insight as the film goes on, but he's a fascinating character and I wanted more. This film is certainly all about Bobby Fischer. Spassky is a supporting player. I think the film could have been much more powerful had Spassky been more of an equal. We get too much of only one side of the story. When you have a strong actor like Schrieber, you need to leverage him more.

The supporting cast is very strong. Peter Sarsgaard was incredible. He plays his role mostly restrained, but he was able to impact the film in huge ways with his performance. I loved everything he did on screen. He's a great example of an actor who was able to take a smaller supporting role and make the entire film better through his performance. Michael Stuhlbarg was also very, very strong. He just had this quality that made you want to pay attention to him whenever he's on screen. The film is immensely helped by the fact that Maguire, Sarsgaard, and Stuhlbarg have so much screen time together. Their interactions were some of the best moments of the film.

The film did a great job of showcasing what the chess matches between Fischer and Spassky meant for the United States and Soviet Union. It's a little hard for me to even fathom the importance of this game. When's the last time you watched a chess match on television? It seems implausible, but the world got caught up in the battle between these two men. I loved the depiction of how important this match became. When Spassky and Fischer finally square off, it's a fascinating, entertaining battle. It made me do online research because the story was so amazing, I had to find out how much was true and learn the rest of the story. It's incredibly interesting, especially when the film tells you that their sixth match is regarded as the greatest game of chess ever played.

I really like movies that give you insight into fascinating characters, and this movie delivers in that department. Every American should know more about Fischer, and this is a great place to start. I found Pawn Sacrifice to be an entertaining, intriguing film and I thoroughly enjoyed watching it.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Searching for Bobby Fischer