Pawn Sacrifice

Plot synopsis:
The film starts with an adult Bobby Fischer in a paranoid state, worried he is being spied upon by the Soviets. The film flashes back to when Fischer is 6 years old, the late 1940s, and he is shown even then feeling a general sense of paranoia. His mother, a Russian immigrant, supports his general fears, telling him she thinks a socialist revolution could begin in the U.S. and hence they are spied upon.
He immerses himself into learning and becoming an expert chess player. His mother, worried that chess is becoming his obsession, takes him to an adult chess club. He impresses the resident chessmaster and is accepted as a student. His coaching leads him into the world of professional chess championships. He soon becomes the youngest grand master ever. Personal tensions lead to frequent outbursts. He enters a championship match in Bulgaria where he senses that they are trying to isolate him, and alleges collusion, which he feels makes it impossible for a non-Soviet player to win the championship. He quits the tournament and ends his professional career.
When he returns to the USA, a lawyer says that he will help him modify the tournament rules, offering his services free of cost to give Fischer a fair chance to win future tournaments. Fischer re-enters the world of professional chess. He selects William Lombardy, a former World Junior Chess Champion who is now a Catholic priest, as his second. Lombardy tries to calm Fischer's excessive demands, which leads Fischer back to winning tournaments.
He overcomes most of the grand masters across the world and gets close to the world championship. He becomes a celebrity with the American public, which makes him overconfident. He loses against Boris Spassky, the current world champion.
It is the height of the Cold War era and the US is desperate to challenge the Russian dominance in the world of chess. The White House closely monitors his progress. The pressure to win every game drives Fischer towards psychosis. His sister suspects that he is under severe mental stress fearing for his life because he might defeat Spassky.
Reporters and fans all assemble at Reykjavík, Iceland to witness the historic match between Fischer and Spassky. Fischer is easily distracted by small noises like someone coughing in the audience, rolling cameras, or the pawns on the chess board, which leads him to make extreme demands for silence and fewer distractions. Spassky concedes to all his demands to make sure the match continues so that he can win the 24-game match in the right spirit.
Bobby loses the first game, and doesn't show up for the second therefore losing by forfeit, but wins the third using unconventional tactics. Americans are thrilled with Bobby's victory. Game four is a draw but Fischer wins game five after Spassky himself begins showing signs of paranoia. With the match now more interesting, experts speculate that the next game will determine the outcome of the tournament. In game six Fischer plays using an opening he has never played before, surprising the audience and wins it. Spassky expresses amazed admiration and rises to lead the applause from the gallery. Fischer ultimately goes on to win the match, but his delusions have destroyed him emotionally and he goes into self-imposed exile.

Tags: flashback

Review:
The film picks up with the arrival of three characters played by brilliant actors: Michael Stahlbarg as Paul Marshall, a sort of fixer / hand-holder, Peter Sarsgaard as Father William Lombardy, a chess master, and Liev Schreiber as Boris Spassky.
So don't assume that this is a boring movie because of its theme.This is based on the real life of chess legend Bobby Fischer who after he became world champion, he lived a secluded, solitary life possibly because of a mental illness which made him paranoid.I am not a fan of Tobey Maguire (poor choice for Spiderman IMO) but he gives a convincing performance in this.
I was bit skeptic on whether I should watch this movie or not.There has been so much of slamming of this movie.It did not even have a wide release.But thank God, I dared to watch.It is one of most intense movies of recent times.From the beginning,your eyes remain glued to the screen.The historic match between Spassky and Fisher has been depicted so vividly, that at times you forget that you are watching a movie.Tobey Maguire has been criticized a lot for his portrayal of the legendary chess player.But I found him too good.His acting was as intense as this movie.The frowning, the clenching, the swing of mood everything was made so much believable.Liev Shreiber, too has done a commendable job as Spassky.The cinematography is excellent.The close shots deserve to be mentioned in particular.Finally, a good film from a brilliant director like Zwick after a pause.Do not miss this movie..
You won't be able to take your eyes off of it.Director Ed Zwick is the man who gave us "Glory," "The Last Samurai," "Defiance," basically movies that have epic battlefield sequences, so it's interesting that his battlefield has been scaled down to the size of a chessboard but it's just as colossal, this is a story back in the era when the whole world was watching which of the two ideologies, United States or the Soviets would ultimately win, tension was running high but instead of bullets or nuclear weapons which both regions did have, it all came down to between Bobby Fischer (Tobey Maguire) and Boris Spassky (Liev Schreiber) and even if the movie may or may not want to preach about which is the ultimate victor, it did capture the animosity in the air, so sharp it can cut through glass, the hatred against communism at the time.Written by Steven Knight, who gave us "Eastern Promises," and "Locke," I think Knight gives in to Hollywood's long-held fascination with brilliance and madness, it's a lot like "A Beautiful Mind," where a person is so brilliant that his mind just snaps.
My point is, I don't know how out of touch Fischer really was, and this movie itself is not a straight adaptation, but I think PAWN SACRIFICE accomplishes what it set out to do from the start, this correlation between genius and paranoia or insanity.Mad props to actors Tobey Maguire and Liev Schreiber who, under the direction of Ed Zwick, successfully manage to dramatize the game of chess.
There's a YouTube video of him on TV with Bob Hope filmed sometime shortly after the match with Spassky that shows a very different Fischer than the one Maguire portrayed.The bit with the girl (sarcastically she says to Fischer: "it was good for me too" as he studies a chess game in bed) was apparently director Edward Zwick's take on the nagging question of Fischer's sexuality, meaning yes he was heterosexual, but chess was just more interesting.The real disappointment for me was that they did not make clear the really great triumphant of Fischer's preceding the championship match.
The film traces Fischer's life from a troubled childhood in Brooklyn (with outstanding juvenile roles) up through national celebrity as a young chess wizard, international political celebrity when he confronts Russian Chess grandmaster Boris Spassky at the height of the Cold War in Reykjavik in 1972, and finally, his decline into paranoid obscurity in his antisemitic anti-American later years.The electrically charged chessboard battle of the titans in Iceland -- billed at the time as "The Match of the Century" and symbolically as a major superpower Cold War confrontation, is the centerpiece of the current film -- amazing that a series of chess games can be so action packed and full of suspense on screen -- kudos to Director Zwick.The title of the film refers to a well known chess move in which one of the eight pawns is sacrificed to gain a temporary strategic advantage.
In a detailed assessment of the film long term Fischer friend and associate Sam Sloan has pointed out a number of minor historical inconsistencies (exact names and dates and slightly variant chess moves) but was very moved by Mcguire's tremendous portrayal of Bobby the man and the overall quality of the picture, both as entertainment and a powerful document of a most intriguing and important American life, now all but forgotten..
The Hollywood-tinted spectacles this film plops on the viewers faces fail to explain how Mr Fischer was used like a pawn himself before being cast into the darkness when his country was finished with him.The film gave us a few tiny, weeny little clips right at the end to skip over the more important details of how he was treated after the Cold War.He doesn't like chess, he is more interested in exposing the lies of the American Government.
He called out George Bush for being a lunatic and a law-breaker while passionately claiming all he wants is "the truth".That doesn't sound like a raving madman to me, nor does being paranoid playing world championship chess against the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Especially with a family from Russia.The acting was fine, Spiderman and Wolverine's brother did well to keep their mutant abilities in check for some good chess.I've given this movie 1 star primarily because it felt like Hollywood propaganda and a cowardly cop-out.It should say "Based on a true story?".
This was after all, one of the most fascinating reluctant public figure during one of the most energizing signature events of the Cold War between Russia and the United States  it was even described as World War III on a chess board.Director Edward Zwick (Glory, Blood Diamond) and writer Steven Knight (Locke, "Peaky Blinders") wisely focus the story on the infamous World Chess Championship match in 1972 between American Bobby Fischer and Russian Boris Spassky.
And it's the media and citizenry reactions that provide the contemporary comparison to what we see too often these days thanks to social media  icons are born, chewed up, and forgotten.Tobey Maguire plays Fischer, and despite lacking the height and physical presence of the real chess champion, he expertly conveys the paranoia, fear, and arrogance that burdened the man and created even more suspense for those of us keeping a watchful eye at the time.
Bobby Fischer certainly fits that description, but his story is frustrating because we just don't understand the mental issues that caused him to evolve from teenage chess prodigy to World Champion to literal anti-social outcast spewing hateful words (watch the end credit film clips).
He gets great performances from his leads, the film just doesn't really mesh though.Tobey Maguire gives one of his better efforts in recent memory, playing Bobby Fischer, a beloved chess player from the 1960's.
REVIEW "PAWN SACRIFICE" Q & A W/TOBEY MAGUIRE The story of chess great Bobby Fisher is definitely a complex one as we watch Bobby as a young child (Young actors Aiden Lovekamp and Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick, who play Fischer as a boy and teenager, are respectively completely convincing) growing up in the Washington Square area of Brooklyn already showing chess greatness but also showing how his paranoia builds with his mother Regina Fisher (Robin Weigert) holding secret communist party get togethers in their small apartment.Director Ed Zwick does well making this tense and gripping story which is for the most part set during the Cold War era between the U.S.
As you watch his crazy decline of mental cognizance with Maguire truly inhabiting and embodying this character showing how he had a mind both incredible and dangerous as on the one hand he loved gloating to the public, on the other was a nuisance and nut in private.With the aid of two companions, lawyer Paul Marshall (Michael Stuhlbarg) and Father William Lombardy (Peter Sarsgaard), Fischer plans a trip to Iceland to play against the Soviets.Out of fear and apparent madness, Fischer does not show up for a world title match against his Russian foe, Boris Spassky (Liev Schreiber), who is effortlessly cool in his portrayal here mostly just with looks as he doesn't have much dialogue.
along with the fact they make chess almost exciting makes the title perfectly fit with the reference to the sacrifice Bobby Fischer had to make, but because of his almost sheer genius, had the game going and ending how he wanted.Although the physical resemblance with the real chess players isn't spot on, that fact proves to be almost a moot point and unnoticeable with these hands down enveloping performances and truly, once the movie gets a hold of you, just sit back and enjoy the spectacle.Grade: B @pegsatthemovies peggyatthemovies.comPOST Q & A WITH TOBEY MAGUIRE & PRODUCER GAIL KATZ: Tobey noted what interested him most and attracted him to the role was seeing what Fisher's childhood had been about..
Maquire plays Fischer, the chess prodigy from Brooklyn in a run of the mil drama about a man's attempt to become world champion in his craft.The structure of the film is one we have already seen a thousand times, from the Rocky movies to more contemporary films like the Great Debaters.
It's Superficial and Exploitative using the aforementioned as nothing more than Filling Space like a Cable News Channel with Talking Heads and Fancy Pictorials, that are Entertaining to a Point but Pointless in the Big Picture.Pick 1 of those 3, Any 1, and Do Something with it, Anything.Tobey Maguire as Bobby Fischer and Liev Schreiber as Boris Spassky go through the "Talking Points" of the Script with Professionalism and bring Their Acting Chops to the Proceedings and Proceed to Project Clichés and Go through Meaningless Moves, as does the Writer and Director.
In a true story set during the peak of the Cold War, American chess prodigy Bobby Fischer (Tobey Maguire) finds himself stuck between two different superpowers when he challenges the Soviet Empire chess champion Boris Spassky (Liev Schreiber).
Also starring Peter Sarsgaard and Michael Stuhlbarg, Pawn Sacrifice dramatizes Fischer's struggles with genius and mental illness, and the rise and fall of a kid from Brooklyn who captured the imagination and attention of the world.I know what most of you are thinking, a movie about chess?
These are the better moments of the film as I found that Tobey Maguire did the best at depicting Bobby Fischer's eccentric personality and paranoia of the Russians and Boris Spassky who were his most formidable opponents.
From the director of Glory, The Last Samurai & Blood Diamond, Pawn Sacrifice arrives as a consistently thrilling, wonderfully paced & ably performed picture that attempts to bring on screen the life story of the American chess prodigy, Bobby Fischer, and chronicles the rise & fall of the grandmaster who went on to redefine the game of chess like never before.Set during the height of the Cold War, the story of Pawn Sacrifice is mainly concerned with the rivalry between Bobby Fischer & Boris Spassky, a Soviet chess wiz who was the world champion back then.
The plot overviews Fischer's childhood & meteoric rise in the arena of chess that reaches its pinnacle in the 1972 World Chess Championship and also covers his descent into madness.Directed by Edward Zwick, Pawn Sacrifice takes its time to set up the board pieces during the first act, which is then followed by Fischer showing signs of deteriorating mental health in addition to his increasing contempt & arrogance which further amplifies as the film nears its conclusion.
"Pawn Sacrifice" is the story of perhaps the greatest chess player of all time, Bobby Fischer, and his tumultuous battle both with the Soviet Union's best chess players and his own inner demons.For a basic plot summary, this movie begins with Fischer (Tobey Maguire) not showing up to his promoted matched with Russian Grand Master Boris Spassky (Liev Schreiber).
The scenes where Spassky is given some development are great and Schreiber shines, but they just seem a bit few and far between.All told, "Pawn Sacrifice" is a great movie for those who like historical biopics or are interested in Bobby Fischer's story or chess in general.
Tobey Maguire is best known for playing Spider-Man on the silver screen, while fellow actor Liev Schreiber took on the role of Sabretooth in another Marvel movie – X-Men Origins: Wolverine.It is an appropriate background, because in Pawn Sacrifice the acting duo assume the identities of two of the superheroes of the chess world – Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky.The film was out in 2014 but the distribution has been patchy.
Before going to see the new film, Pawn Sacrifice based on the true story of Bobby Fischer and his ultimate chess match between the then Russian champion, Boris Spassky, I encountered quite a bit of opposition from different people regarding the film and basing opinions on it before they had even given the film a chance and watched it.
Liev Schreiber plays his nemesis and antagonist, the that time chess world champion Boris Spassky and delivers a good restrained performance compared to Maguire's loud and flashy Bobby Fischer.
Last night I underwent what is now one of my top favorite screenplays of the year; started out on the Hollywood's 2009 Blacklist, PAWN SACRIFICE took me through the insecurities and stress in the mind of the worlds greatest chess master, Bobby Fischer.The unbeatable young adult, is portrayed by the king of the craft, Tobey Maguire who does a sensational job.
Proving once and for all that chess is not a "sport' to be watched for excitement, Last Samurai and Legend of the Fall director Edward Zwick try's his very best to make something out of the no doubt far more appealing real life event of chess champion Bobby Fischer taking on Russian chess wiz Boris Spassky, but Pawn Sacrifice is a fairly forgettable battle against the odds.Set during the heat of the cold war tensions between America and Russia, this battle of wills and minds enchanted countries and viewers the world over and has been documented in various formats including the fabulous and much more exciting documentary Bobby Fischer Against the World but Pawn Sacrifice fails to replicate the essence of what made this unique event such a big deal at the time and for Zwick in particular it marks a curiously down trodden entry into the filmmakers normally highly entertaining repertoire.Once known exclusively for his epic sagas that often involved battlefields and emotionally manipulative plot progressions, Zwick seems a curious choice to have taken on Fischer's story and can't find the right tone to either make us care for Fischer or his plight and Pawn Sacrifice acts as one of the directors weakest products despite a committed Toby Maguire lead turn.Taking somewhat of a backseat in recent years, Maguire gives it his all as Fischer and almost makes the strange and tortured soul someone we can root for even though his a highly unlikeable and intense individual.
Set during the Cold War, Pawn Sacrifice follows what is perhaps the infamous Bobby Fischer's most memorable chapter, that of his showdown with then world champ and Soviet representative--Boris Spassky.The film does a great job of building the tension and setting the stage for what was a very precarious geopolitical time.
Chess Prodigy Bobby Fischer (Toby Mcguire) becomes a household name during the Cold War years as he believes he is the best chess player in the world and his goal is to beat the Russian champion Boris Spassky (Liev Schreiber).
Pawn Sacrifice, the new film by Ed Zwick (Blood Diamond) about American chess prodigy Bobby Fischer (Tobey Maguire).
Pawn Sacrifice (2014) is a beautifully crafted film featuring Tobey Maguire, Liev Schreiber, and Peter Sarsgaard, This film is a story about an American chess prodigy named Bobby Fischer.
-Pawn Sacrifice is a 2015 American biographical thriller film based on the true story about Bobby Fischer who won the 1972 World Chess Championship in Iceland.
Based on those standards, "Pawn Sacrifice" (PG-13, 1:54) is VERY well-acted – enough to even make watching chess games exciting.Golden Globe nominees Tobey Maguire ("The Great Gatsby", "Brothers", "Seabiscuit" and the 2002-2007 "Spider-Man" Movies) and Liev Schreiber ("Lee Daniels' The Butler", "Salt", the "Scream" movies and TV's "Ray Donovan") play American Bobby Fisher and Russian Boris Spassky, two chess champions whose names will forever be linked in history for their decades-long rivalry, their epic matches and, in particular, the 1972 World Chess Championship in the politically neutral location of Reykjavík, Iceland.It's difficult for those who don't remember the Cold War to understand all the commotion that surrounded these two men at this particular time and place, but the film does a very good job at communicating its importance.
PAWN SACRIFICE is, on the face of it, a film about the famous chess match between American and Russian rivals Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky in the 1970s.
"Pawn sacrifice" centers around the life and game of one of the greatest chess players of all time, Bobby Fischer, and his battle with both the cold war and his fragile mind.
This film takes place during the Cold War with a young American by the name of "Bobby Fischer" (played by Tobey Maguire) setting out to become the World Chess Champion which had been under exclusive domination of the Soviet Union for almost 40 years.
Pawn Sacrifice is a biographical film based on the true story of US Chess Grand Master(GM) Bobby Fischer particularly his experiences leading to his match with Russian GM Boris Spassky during the 1972 World Chess Championships.