Pawn Sacrifice...worth it?

A new Fischer movie is hitting the screen as we speak. Pawn sacrifice. Has anyone seen this movie? I'm not sure I want to spend the money, the actors in this movie don't look much like the chess players they are supposed to be, but there are so few chess movies, I just might take a chance. Any thoughts?

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/16/movies/review-pawn-sacrifice-another-take-on-the-royal-game.html?_r=0

I wish a film would be made about a chess player other than Fischer. Alekhine for instance or Morphy or even Mir Sultan Khan!

Originally posted by Data Fly
I wish a film would be made about a chess player other than Fischer. Alekhine for instance or Morphy or even Mir Sultan Khan!

Nobody in Hollywood, and preciously few people in the USA, have even heard of any other chess player than Fischer. Maybe some more have heard of Morphy, Kasparov, or nowadays even Carlsen. Who Fischer played? No idea, don't care, boooring!!11! And the situation in the rest of the world isn't much better. So such a film would not make enough money for the studios to even take a sniff at the project pretending to be interested.

HI Bill,

I've seen mixed reviews, mostly from non-player film critics.

The best thing is to go and judge for yourself.

Regarding films about other players there would have to be a lot fabrication to make
it of interest to the non-player, something other than chess to get them interested.

Maybe Tartakower who seems to have had an interesting life off the board,
fighting in both World Wars both as a soldier and possibly a spy under the name
of Lieutenant George Cartier. (if he was not a spy then the script could make him one!).

Aron Nimzovitch would be a good one to make a film about. His rivalry with Tarrasch could make it interesting. Add in a scene with "Why must I lose to this idiot" as he chucks the king across the room and you've got a movie. It doesn't get more dramatic than that.

Originally posted by greenpawn34
Maybe Tartakower who seems to have had an interesting life off the board, fighting in both World Wars both as a soldier and possibly a spy under the name of Lieutenant George Cartier. (if he was not a spy then the script could make him one!).

Rubinstein's life would make a very moving tragedy, but hey, chess, boooring!!!, didn't even get to play a world championship match (though he should have), looooseeer!!!, downer ending... fuggeddaboutit, it's never gonna sell.

This is sad, that Fischer is now persona-non-grata in "civilized political correct" conversation because of his statements in non-chess period of his life.

Fischer as a chess player is generally unknown to people, as Morphy ("he was mad!"😉, Sultan Khan ("was he really servant to a colonel?!"😉.

Fischer can be secret passion, he is like Mel Gibson: you can't love and discuss Mad Max any more, but only that he had beaten his wife and said that and that.

Some Soviet GMs were KGB agent and when Soviets played in tournament abroad, there was always one outsider player /usually requested by SSSR Chess Federation in the form of ultimatum/, for example Antoshin, Kholmov etc.

They were watching other first grade GMs' behaviour and prevented possible defection.

British masters helped in breaking German cipher machine.

Spies were always connected with literature, travels chess...

Spielman, great combinator,
Schlechter, tuberculosis genie
Rubinstein who claimed that Alekhine comes during the night and knocks at his door,
but in the most film it is obvious that director doesn't have a clue about chess, there is only popular opinon that chess players are clumsy lunatics.

Originally posted by Shallow Blue
Nobody in Hollywood, and preciously few people in the USA, have even heard of any other chess player than Fischer. Maybe some more have heard of Morphy, Kasparov, or nowadays even Carlsen. Who Fischer played? No idea, don't care, boooring!!11! And the situation in the rest of the world isn't much better. So such a film would not make enough money for the studios to even take a sniff at the project pretending to be interested.

That is sadly true, most people would rather have a wart removed, rather than sit through a chess movie. 😞

How about the Vera Menchik story? Keira Knightley is the spitting image of her and would be ideal in the lead role.

Originally posted by bill718
A new Fischer movie is hitting the screen as we speak. Pawn sacrifice. Has anyone seen this movie? I'm not sure I want to spend the money, the actors in this movie don't look much like the chess players they are supposed to be, but there are so few chess movies, I just might take a chance. Any thoughts?

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/16/movies/review-pawn-sacrifice-another-take-on-the-royal-game.html?_r=0

This movie is important in this way: They focus in the life of a chess champion.... a world champion..... and maybe one of the best of all times.
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Chess movies were always about of a 'chess player' playing the role of an assassin.....
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This is the fist time that real names are in the screen.
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The close thing maybe is the film, searching for BF..... but that one is not about of a World Champion....

Originally posted by Data Fly
I wish a film would be made about a chess player other than Fischer. Alekhine for instance or Morphy or even Mir Sultan Khan!

I vote for Alekhine, or a film about the soviets.... Tal, Petrossian, Smyslov, Geller, botvinnik... they had a lot of fun in the books...

Originally posted by Data Fly
I wish a film would be made about a chess player other than Fischer. Alekhine for instance or Morphy or even Mir Sultan Khan!

Thumbs up for Mir Sultan Khan.

I read a story once where he was playing in a tournament, and his master invited all the players from the tournament to a lavish dinner. When the players arrived, they thought Khan would be dining with them, and they became very embarrassed when they learned that Khan was going to be the servant for the meal.

Several years back I was a manager in the Asia Operations section of Disney's Animal Kingdom, and a conversation led to me sharing the story with some coworkers, and doing so led me to get a little lumpy in the throat, and I had a hard time finishing. I was a little embarrassed at myself for suddenly reacting that way, but then I wasn't embarrassed, if that makes any sense.

In any event, I could see an independent movie being made about him, and I think it would play well in certain parts of the world.

If Capablanca was a natural, then Khan was the natural that created the template.

Originally posted by Data Fly
I wish a film would be made about a chess player other than Fischer. Alekhine for instance or Morphy or even Mir Sultan Khan!

And wouldn't Johnny Depp make an awesome Morphy?

Originally posted by Schlecter

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This is the fist time that real names are in the screen.
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Searching for Bobby Fischer used real names for the primary characters, but changes the names of minor characters.

Josh Waitzkin and his family all real names
Bruce Pandolfini was really Josh's chess teacher
(Pandolfini also had a cameo appearance in the film with one line: "young Bobby Fisher"😉.