Pawn Sacrifice

2015 "On the board he fought the Cold War. In his mind he fought his madness."
7| 1h55m| PG-13| en| More Info
Released: 18 September 2015 Released
Producted By: PalmStar Media
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
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Synopsis

American chess champion Bobby Fischer prepares for a legendary match-up against Russian Boris Spassky.

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Reviews

Ceticultsot Beautiful, moving film.
TrueHello Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.
Nayan Gough A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.
Jakoba True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.
Leofwine_draca 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. However, it's not so much about chess, and rather a psychological portrait of a mentally ill man. Fischer was a real character who was adversely affected by the pressure of the international chess scene, and this movie gets inside his head in a very clever and intense way. That's no surprise given that it was directed by the excellent Edward Zwick, who has directed such superlative fare as GLORY and THE LAST SAMURAI in the past. Tobey Maguire gives a very good performance as the nervy protagonist and Liev Schreiber is perfect as his rival; the constantly underrated Michael Stuhlbarg also excels in support. Overall this is a very well made movie, one which kept my interest throughout.
Pablo this is a good movie. If you are interested in chess, bobby fischer, the cold war or just history in general this is for you. Great performances all around and Tobey Maguire in particular breathes life into the legend of eccentric chess genius Bobby Fischer. The production values are top notch. The photography is artistic and the script is compelling.
Uriah43 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. Yet, even though he was a most formidable challenger there were several obstacles he had to overcome, which not only included an incredible number of skilled Soviet grandmasters, but his own character flaws as well. To that end, this film provides an interesting--albeit somewhat flawed—glimpse into this person's unique quest. Now, having said that, let me first state that I thought both Tobey Maguire, and Liv Schreiber (as "Boris Spassky") performed in an excellent manner. However, to be fair there were certain aspects which lacked historical accuracy and should probably be mentioned as well. First, I don't believe this film gives an accurate or honest portrayal of Bobby Fischer. Yes, he would often become quite agitated when distracted by noise. But let's be honest, he wasn't the only chess player to voice his displeasure in that regard. Likewise, there were a couple of times he walked out during certain chess competitions. However, it should be noted that Bobby had religious restrictions which forbade him from playing on the Sabbath. So when his legitimate objections were ignored he did what he felt was necessary. Yet rather than giving him credit for putting his religious beliefs ahead of everything else this film uses this fact against him. Also worth mentioning is the fact that Bobby was very shy and socially awkward. Unfortunately, rather than taking this into account this film makes him look like a raving lunatic instead. Now, that is not to say that Bobby didn't eventually go completely insane. But this was a gradual process which accelerated after he won the World Championship due in part to his feelings of betrayal by the same religious institution he had put so much faith—and money--into. Additionally, as mentioned earlier, Bobby was quite shy and as a result he preferred to do things on his own and was very much a loner. That said, this movie greatly exaggerates the influence "Father Bill Lombardy" (Peter Sarsgaard) and "Paul Marshall" (Michael Stuhlbarg) had upon him. Further, it should also be mentioned that Boris Spassky was not the World Champion when he and Bobby sat down at the board during the Piatigorsky Cup in 1966—that honor belonged at the time to Tigran Petrosian and it would be another 3 years before Boris could claim that title. To that extent, these are just a few of the inaccuracies detailed in this film--with several other flaws out there that I haven't mentioned. That being said, those who have followed Bobby Fisher's career will probably be less than impressed with the manner in which he has been portrayed. Ironically, in spite of these criticisms, I still found this film to still be entertaining to a certain degree and for that reason I have rated it accordingly. Slightly above average.
SnoopyStyle Bobby Fischer (Tobey Maguire) is a chess master and Russian Boris Spassky (Liev Schreiber) is his nemesis. His mother is a Russian immigrant who instilled a fear of spying in him. They don't get along and become estranged. As he rises in chess rankings, he is confronted by the Russian chess players playing as a team. He quits calling them cheaters. Lawyer Paul Marshall (Michael Stuhlbarg) recruits Bobby to continue playing as a way to fight the Cold War. Father Bill Lombardy (Peter Sarsgaard) is his constant companion and the only friend who understands since he beat both Bobby and Boris when they were young. Bobby's mind deteriorates and he gets more paranoid. His sister Joan Fischer (Lily Rabe) fears for his mental health.Tobey Maguire delivers an intriguing performance of obsession and growing madness. The chess is more compelling than expected. The big match between Fischer and Spassky turns into psychological warfare. It touches on the specific era of the Cold War. It's a maddening character study and a surprisingly effective thriller.