Zwick made a movie about chess, feel like an exciting sports flick!

Rating: 8/10 (2 October 2015)

'PAWN SACRIFICE': Four Stars (Out of Five)
Biographical drama flick; examining American chess champion Bobby Fischer's fight with mental illness, as he also attempted to win the 1972 World Chess Championship. It stars Tobey Maguire, as Fischer, and it costars Liev Schrieber, Peter Sarsgaard, Michael Stuhlbarg, Lily Rabe and Robin Weigert. The film was directed by Edward Zwick (who also helmed such acclaimed drama flicks as 'GLORY', 'LEGENDS OF THE FALL', 'THE LAST SAMURAI' and 'BLOOD DIAMOND') and it was written by Steven Knight, Stephen J. Rivele and Christopher Wilkinson. I found the film to be extremely interesting, insightful and surprisingly intense.
The story follows Bobby's (Maguire) life story; beginning when he was a child (Aiden Lovekamp), and continuing all the way up to his victory, at the 1972 World Chess Championship. The film first focuses on his relationship with his mother (Weigert), and his depression/anger over the absence of his father. The filmmakers show how Bobby first got into chess, and then became obsessed with it; through his teenage years (Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick). The movie also (obviously) centers on his mental illness (as an adult), and his fight to defeat Boris Spassky (Schrieber), at the Chess Championship.
Maguire gives another amazing performance in this film, and it's a shame he hasn't been working nearly as much lately. The rest of the cast is decent as well, but it's totally Maguire's movie to shine in. Zwick always delivers excellent direction, and it seems as though he had a really good script to work with too. I really enjoy how much the film focuses on mental illness, and how someone who suffered with it, so severely, was still able to accomplish great things. I also like how Zwick made a movie about chess, feel like an exciting sports flick. It's definitely a movie worth seeing.
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