Gimmie a break... Tobey Maguire as Bobby Fischer?!
Horrible casting idea... This had potential to be a much better movie, but the casting is too compromised and the movie is far too banal and safe... It doesn't compare to the documentary Bobby Fischer Against the World... Watch that instead...
I enjoyed it, but then, I didn't know anything about Bobby Fischer before so maybe I would feel differently if I already knew his story?
I do wish it had gone into more detail about what happened to him after he won against Spassky.. the brief text and clips at the end just didn't cut it for me. I think that would be a very interesting film for them to make in the future.
I think Tobey Maguire did a fine job, I bought into the character. I think they could surely have found some Russian actors though instead of using Americans.
I enjoyed it as well.
It wasn't GREAT and could've been better, but I do think they did a fairly good job. The problem with talking about Fischer's later life is that it would completely destroy the tone and feel of the film. This was about the triumphant Fisher--the Fischer who single-handedly beat Russia in chess during the height of the Cold War--and not the literally insane Fischer that he became later in life.
If you want to see more about the real-life Fischer then I would recommend the documentary the OP recommended, Bobby Fischer Against the World.
I will definitely add that to my list of things to watch.. I know that they wanted to have a positive tone to the film with him winning but I do think it's white-washing his life story. We can tell he had issues but I thought the text at the end just felt a bit rushed... I think I would have preferred they didn't mention the rest of his life at all rather than just a couple of lines to explain the whole rest of his life.
shareEh, I dunno, I think they probably handled it appropriately, though I don't remember exactly how the ending text went.
Is it a whitewash? Perhaps to some extent, but I see it more as a generally accurate account of his life up to that point. While he may have displayed some strange tendencies in his earlier life--tendencies that were hinted at in the movie--it wasn't until his later years that he really lost it. And the film's scope does not extend into those years.
True.. it was focused on just that period of his life. Which is why I think it may have been better not to mention the later stuff at all if they were just going to skim the surface.
shareI think if they didn't mention it at all then they probably would've gotten accused of whitewashing. And you've accused them of whitewashing for doing nothing more than mention it at the end.
Damned if they do, damned if they don't I guess.
Tobey did well for what he had to work with... casting him in this movie is basically asking him to play in the NBA... even if he scores a couple of points, he's just not built for it. Misscast. Not his fault.
The future story isn't necessary as this film isn't supposed to be a comprehensive biography. Although, i do find the future Bobby Fischer saga very interesting and complex. It would be difficult to do as it requires nuance, but I think a solid director and an appropriately cast lead actor could make it work. Maybe get Liam Neeson or William Hurt to play the old Fischer and a couple of other actors to play the younger Fischers.
The documentary I mentioned is also interesting because you get a sense from other chess people just how good Bobby Fischer was.
I have mixed feelings about Tobey's performance.
One one hand, when I watch his performance and match it up to old clips of Fischer, I don't see a lot of the real Fischer in his performance. On the other hand, I still didn't think that it was a bad job of acting as a slightly fictionalized Fischer. That is, when I divorce his performance from the expectations of seeing "Bobby Fischer" brought to life on screen then I can appreciate it as something that is enjoyable to watch.
Would someone else have been better in the role? Sure, probably. But I still enjoy the movie.
As for who could play an older Fischer, I think you're choices are a bit too aged. Fischer was only 55 years old when he died. Hurt and Neeson 67 and 65 respectively. I think they'd be better served finding someone in their mid-40s who, by way of some good makeup artists, could play the range of Fischer's adult life, or at least play him from about 35-55.
Yeah, you're probably right when it comes to casting an older Fischer. I think Neeson and Hurt have the right "presence", but they are older now.
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