Movie Crush Monday: CT & Searching For Bobby Fischer
Story time, readers. When I was but a young CT, my dad taught me how to play chess. And I was hooked from the beginning. I loved the way the pieces moved, I loved the strategy, I loved the (very few) times I beat him. I don't have a patient bone in my body, so I was never going to be really good at it, but I loved the game.
Fast forward a few years and I, blissfully unaware of the stereotype I was fulfilling for young nerds, joined my middle school's chess club. All I knew was that I loved chess, and here was a whole room full of people to spend a couple hours a week playing with after school. I learned speed chess, and really was awful at it (see above, having zero patience), but I had an absolute blast learning more about the game.
That's about the time that I saw Searching For Bobby Fischer for the first time. It's a pretty good movie to rent for your movie and chess obsessed pre-teen. I was, in a word, obsessed. I've seen this movie so many times that I could probably quote the entire thing for you live. It's one of those stories that sticks to you. It follows a young boy named Josh, as his father realizes that he might be a chess prodigy and begins to have him trained by a renowned coach named Bruce (played by the brilliant Ben Kingsley). Along the way we also learn the story of Bobby Fischer, the famous chess master, and how he hardened himself in order to win. Josh has to find a balance between who he is instinctively, and the toughness that Bruce thinks he'll need to be a champion.
This film does a few things really, really well. First off is Max Pomeranc's performance as Josh. He has a depth to him that gives the entire film grounding. He is soft without losing a strength inside a scene. It's really an astounding performance that I've never forgotten.
The other thing that works really well here is that this film finds a balance between being a sports movie and being a drama about a brilliant child. A step too far in either direction and this would have been a sappy mess. But Steven Zaillian's direction keeps the film from ever feeling rushed or the emotions from becoming forced. The editing brings an incredible amount of tension to what could easily be the world's most boring game to watch. That balancing act makes for the kind of story that sticks with you long after you watch it.
Happy Watching!
CT
Fast forward a few years and I, blissfully unaware of the stereotype I was fulfilling for young nerds, joined my middle school's chess club. All I knew was that I loved chess, and here was a whole room full of people to spend a couple hours a week playing with after school. I learned speed chess, and really was awful at it (see above, having zero patience), but I had an absolute blast learning more about the game.
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| Image from IMDb |
That's about the time that I saw Searching For Bobby Fischer for the first time. It's a pretty good movie to rent for your movie and chess obsessed pre-teen. I was, in a word, obsessed. I've seen this movie so many times that I could probably quote the entire thing for you live. It's one of those stories that sticks to you. It follows a young boy named Josh, as his father realizes that he might be a chess prodigy and begins to have him trained by a renowned coach named Bruce (played by the brilliant Ben Kingsley). Along the way we also learn the story of Bobby Fischer, the famous chess master, and how he hardened himself in order to win. Josh has to find a balance between who he is instinctively, and the toughness that Bruce thinks he'll need to be a champion.
This film does a few things really, really well. First off is Max Pomeranc's performance as Josh. He has a depth to him that gives the entire film grounding. He is soft without losing a strength inside a scene. It's really an astounding performance that I've never forgotten.
The other thing that works really well here is that this film finds a balance between being a sports movie and being a drama about a brilliant child. A step too far in either direction and this would have been a sappy mess. But Steven Zaillian's direction keeps the film from ever feeling rushed or the emotions from becoming forced. The editing brings an incredible amount of tension to what could easily be the world's most boring game to watch. That balancing act makes for the kind of story that sticks with you long after you watch it.
Happy Watching!
CT
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