The Queen's Gambit > Pawn Sacrifice

Pawn Sacrifice (2015) tries to showcase an idea which is beyond the cinematography itself. It's acted and directed well but the writing did not live up to what film-maker Edward Zwick wanted to achieve. 

The Plot: It's based on the true events which led up to the 1972 World Chess Championship between American player Bobby Fischer (Tobey Maguire) and the Russian, Boris Spassky (Liev Schreiber).

The Good: The performances, primarily that of lead actor Tobey Maguire, are brilliant. The supporting cast includes the likes of Liev Schreiber, Peter Sarsgaard, Lily Rabe, Robin Weigert and Michael Stuhlbarg. If I had to choose the second-best act that would be Schreiber's portrayal of Spassky, especially due his physical persona. Maguire's individual was anti-social whereas Schreiber's was confident. So, the director did a fantastic job of setting the stage for a cinematic contest between two characters who couldn't be more diverse.

The usage of real-life footage was also an excellent addition into the duration. At a running time of 115 minutes, it never does get too tedious for us to watch. The chess-playing sequences were shot quite well though I felt if the game was a bit more elaborated on then it would be easier for viewers to associate with what's occurring on the screen.

The best aspect of Pawn Sacrifice is the tension created when Fischer and Spassky face each other. Not only can you relate to what's happening in the flick but you can actually feel the tension the worldwide audiences must've faced during the actual Championship.

The Bad: This feature fails tremendously due to the screenplay, and this is particularly in relation to there being no fixed objective for the narrative. Is the venture about the players, or is it about the Cold War ideology playing in the background? That is what screenwriter Steven Knight got wrong.

Another negative factor is that in many factual-based films we seem to be mesmerized by what the main figure is going through, or what obstacle they are facing. Here, Maguire gives the display of a lifetime, but is hindered by Fischer's on-screen treatment. Now, it's 2016 and if we were to be impressed by the past, we need a storyline which would seem renewed for this century. This one simply fails where its contemporaries have succeeded and that is achieving an equilibrium of honest storytelling and fictional depictions.

The Verdict: Edward Zwick has the directorial credits of The Last Samurai (2003) and Blood Diamond (2006), and even though this was not an action exhibition, Pawn Sacrifice did not match his criteria due to the script's mediocrity. It's more of an enjoyable watch if you're a fan of Tobey Maguire but for me it was complete time-pass.

The Rating: 2.5 out of 4.