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source: Searching for Bobby Fischer

source: Searching for Bobby Fischer

But also a great movie period. The characters are well developed and I think that the reactions of the parents and the chess playing kids is a great metaphor for sports in general. The one kid (Poe) is deprived of almost everything else but chess. It's not hard to see him ending up like the guys in the café, spending their time on nothing but chess, lost to life. The ending was a bit hokey, as even I, with my low chess skills, would have recognized what was going to happen with just the two pawns left on the board but it doesn't affect my enjoyment of the movie much. The interaction between Morgan and his dad and Josh and Morgan is great, and Josh's empathy for Morgan contains lessons in sportsmanship for any parent. You should see this movie.

Total hack of a movie. They basically just interposed a superficial mini-bio of Fischer with some half baked waffle. Fischer himself called it a monumental swindle, which is actually pretty spot on. Still can't believe Roger Ebert gave this 4 stars, he's usually pretty accurate, at most off by a star; no way is this worth more than 1 star (in his 4 star system that is).

One of the best things about "Searching for Bobby Fischer" is that it brilliantly captures the essence of the book it was based on. Fred Waitzkin's book is not just about chess but focuses much on the relationship between a father and his son. The film does exactly the same and the interaction between the actors is handled skilfully by its director. This is without doubt one of the best sports movies I have seen in a while, you feel an intense level of excitement throughout the chess games and there is a great blend of poignancy, humour and serious drama also at play. Ben Kingsley is fantastic as Bruce Pandolfini and his scenes with the young Max Pomeranc are a joy to watch. Max Pomeranc who plays Josh Waitzkin is perfect in the lead role and really shows he is the heart of the movie. Adapting books to films has never been an easy task but this one is probably one of the best adaptations I have ever seen.

When Searching for Bobby Fischer was released on August 11, 1993, Josh Waitzkin (the main character of film) was 16 years old and still playing chess. I watched this film assuming that Josh was a fictional character designed with the artistic and thematic purpose to parallel the chess player Bobby Fischer. In combination with the surreal and dramatic moments, the movie veils itself as a fictional piece and seems to be, in fact, a highly dramatized non-fiction based piece. Upon further research, I found that the real Josh Waitzkin, faced with the pressure of movie fame, turned to Tai Chi, quit chess, and picked up martial arts instead. Is it appropriate to make a film based on the life of a seven-year-old who at the time of release is 16 years old? The subject matter and concurrent dramatization becomes revolting. While dramatization is fine, like in the case of In the Name of the Father (1993) - released the same year - where the event is far removed, made clear to be based on a true story, and dramatized for cinematic purpose; this movie only fulfills one of those criteria. Despite the choice of subject, the film makes effective use of their subject and excessive dramatization. By paralleling Bobby Fischer with the development of Josh Waitzkin, an interesting moral story of expectations and purpose is created. Great characters are described with contradicting motives and lingering pasts. These characters mix and collide to develop the young Waitzkin into a fine chess player. Zaillian creates a brilliant coming-of-age story of the level of Boyhood (2014). But even further still, Zaillian creates a beautiful overarching metaphor. Chess is the name of the game and that's how he films it. Each scene is a chess move in the final checkmate: the development of Waitzkin. Each scrap of dialogue is a chess move in the final outcome of the conversation. Conrad L. Hall, the cinematographer, helps parallel the chess game with his camera. It's a beautiful movie with a strong, central metaphor, like La La Land (2016). Unfortunately, along with the subject matter, Zaillian builds up to a carefully constructed climax, yet the climax itself is made of glass. He made a film about a child and creates a childish climax. Only an amateur filmmaker would make a definite 'bad guy' for the 'good guy' to beat in a beautifully crafted story. Leave those black-and-white antics for the comic book movies. Are we supposed to cheer when the 'good guy' miraculously wins against the innocent 'bad guy'? This movie becomes a blended smoothie of an amateur heroic plot and a masterful coming-of-age story, supplemented by a repulsive choice in subject matter.

I remember seeing this years ago when it came on TV. I remember hating it. Decades later, I decided to give it another try because a friend said it was his favorite movie. I still don't like it. Part of the reason is I really can't take kid actors. There is something wrong with parents who put their kids through that. Thankfully the kid in this film was smart and got out of acting. But there's another reason I don't like this movie. It's not very good. It's slow and tedious and rather pretentious and predictable. It's very "Hollywood," using formulaic story-telling and direction. In a sense it really insults your intelligence. The plot Josh Waitzkin is just a typical American boy interested in baseball when one day he challenges his father at chess and wins. Showing unusual precocity at the outdoor matches at Washington Square in New York City, he quickly makes friends with a hustler named Vinnie who teaches him speed chess. Josh's parents hire a renowned chess coach, Bruce, who teaches Josh the usefulness of measured planning. Along the way Josh becomes tired of Bruce's system and chess in general and purposely throws a match, leaving the prospects of winning a national championship in serious jeopardy.