A massive failure of a film.

Rating: 1/10 (30 September 2015)

Before you read this, I'd just like to identify myself as someone who has always loved Bobby Fischer as one of the great artistic minds of our time. I play chess. Badly. And I am always fascinated by the enduring legend of Fischer in pop culture. With that being said, Pawn Sacrifice was one of only two films I have walked out of the theater after stomaching about as much as I possibly could. Without taking up too much of your time, I will attempt an explanation.
This film has no tempo. From the moment the film begins, it is already swerving out of control, and unless the last 45 minutes of the movie somehow manages to regain a grasp on the cinematic wheel, never recovers. It begins with trying to draw viewers in to a realm of intrigue with Fischer and his family being watched by the federal government. Although this is an interesting facet of the Fischer story, it is completely ancillary to WHY they were being monitored by the FBI. The film just dumps you into their existence, being photographed and followed because of their supposed "communist sympathies" I invite all of my readers to familiarize yourselves with the Fischer story, especially Regina Fischer.
Also, the film makes it seem like Regina was supportive of Bobby's gifts, but she was nothing of the sort. She knew that Bobby was mentally troubled, and took him to many psychiatrists to help to end his obsessive attitude toward chess. It was very dramatic, and took a toll on the entire family. The portrayal in the film is absurd.
Another aspect of this film's multi-faceted deficit, is that it was technically, visually, and artistically bankrupt. The cuts were sloppy, and the dialogue was like watching molasses drip off the side of glacier. I didn't care about any of the characters. I was honestly so desperate for substance, that I wanted to know more about the bullet hustlers playing in central park.
So you get it. I thought the movie was awful. I think I will conclude with the most important reason that it was awful, and that is the portrayal of Bobby Fischer. Tobey Maguire was a terrible choice for the lead. He did not possess the capacity to represent Fischer's brilliance and madness. What you end up with is a Fischer who is a petulant child half the time, and a dopey deer in the headlights the other half. His mental illness is the tragic aspect of his brilliance, and that is one of the things that made his story so special. This film failed to tell that story.