Once upon a time, America viewed Chess as a serious sport, so much so that every eye was glued to the televisions of the nation as Bobby Fischer faced off against the world champion at Chess during the Cold War. Sadly, it seems that Chess isn't as high regarded today as it was then, but that could just be because America wanted to see an American beat a Russian at something. Either way, this is a film that surprised me at how well made, acted, scripted, and just about everything about this film was great.
I think what really surprised me was how many named actors were in this indie film, and to their credit I completely forget they were actors once I saw them, because they just did a spectacular job. While this film does focus on Bobby Fischer vs Boris Spassky, who are portrayed by Toby Maguire and Liev Schreiber respectfully, this is also a kind of a biopic to Bobby Fischer, one of the most, if not THE most, famous chess player in history.
The film starts off with little Bobby as a kid, we learn about his home life and how his family may have been a bit loose, and we see that to cope he played chess. We then see how he progressed to becoming recognizable by age 12, and grow to become somebody as famous as a movie star. By the time he's an adult the film has already set up something special, because this film isn't just about the Cold War, and one of the best chess games ever, oh no, this film also dives into the paranoia that Fischer succumbed to and you really see his mind deteriorate until you feel the soul crushing performance of the finale.
What's interesting about the film is that while Bobby ages you have this sense that something's wrong with him. While I'm sure most people would pick up, this film does a great job of presenting the big story, the chess match, with what's happening to Bobby and his life on a psychological scale. Early in his life, Bobby and his mother separate, and by the time he's playing in the championships as an adult you get to see that he hasn't really grown up at all, he still sort of acts like a lost kid just going through the world frustrated. This also pops up again when it shows his inexperience with women, him trying to separate himself to become his own man, and that's when things really start to affect his mind when he realizes that the President is interested in his matches and the Cold War spy paranoia slowly sets into his mind. It may be subtle, or not, but what really commend this film to bring something so thoughtful and fun, and just another great experience for me to have in the theater.
Chess is stressful, knowing that you have a full country at your back cheering you on is nerve wracking. Pawn Sacrifice is a great character piece, and one I would love to go back and watch again. The acting was superb, although getting used to a New Yorker's accent took a bit. Liev Shreiber and Toby Maguire worked off each other well and really brought an unsettling undertone that lasts throughout the whole film. It doesn't matter if you don't like chess, or find it boring, because this film will keep you engaged and show you the beauty of chess, and how much it can tear at the mind like a disease.
Rating:
Burn in Hell, Bad, Okay, Good, Must Watch
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