AdiWriter

I Play Rocky (🌟🌟🌟🌟) is a damn good film & a love letter to a version of Hollywood that I’m not sure exists anymore, beautifully bringing to life the story behind one of Cinema’s most famous rags-to-riches stories. Led by a powerhouse performance from Anthony Ippolito and propped up by a genuinely hysterical supporting cast, I truly had a blast with this film. Yes, there are definitely times where it leans a bit too hard on trivia points and winks at the audience about moments that were second-guessed at the time but then became world famous. But none of that matters. This story falls into the category of “stranger than fiction”, and it’s a joy to watch it come to life on the big screen.  Those of you who’ve followed me long enough know how important the Rocky franchise is to me. The first Rocky is my dad’s favorite film & it’s a film that honestly inspired a generation of men like my father, most of whom passed that inspiration down to people like me. The essence of Rocky is that even if a man faces one in one million odds, he still has a shot.  That’s precisely what the story here follows. We begin with the early acting career of a young and unknown Sylvester Stallone (Ippolito), down on his luck, behind on rent, and always working odd jobs in his attempts to make ends meet. Realizing that his distinct look and appearance makes it difficult for him to successfully land an audition, he takes it upon himself to write his own script. After years of little success, he eventually writes the iconic Rocky over the span of 3 days, and when studios are chomping at the bit to buy the script, he holds true to his ultimatum; there is no deal without him in the lead role. He plays Rocky. What ensues is the story of an iconic film that launched a decades-long world wide franchise.  The film is split up into pretty distinct thirds: the early years leading up to writing the script, the hold out over the deal to star in the leading role, and the production of the film itself. While all of these thirds contribute to the film, the second two are definitely better than the first. The early part of the film sets the groundwork, but it definitely takes a tad too long to get to the iconic script that we’re all here to see. Because once we get there, the film takes off into the stratosphere.  Ippolito is fantastic as Stallone, playing a man with such a fierce belief in himself, but never in a way that makes him seem pompous or off-putting. Every time he says no to an offer, we cheer for him. Partly because we know how this story ends, but also because anything else would be antithetical to the character and man we’ve been watching. When the film actually starts production, it’s incredible to watch the extent to which he goes to make this movie a reality; working through injuries, fighting tooth and nail to keep the film on schedule and on budget, only raising a fuss in defense of the film and never himself. It’s an incredibly moving, star-making performance.  Beyond Ippolito’s work here, the entire supporting cast is absolutely hysterical, all playing their parts to perfection. P.J. Byrne and Toby Kebbell play producers Winkler and Chartoff, who are the angel and devil on Stallone’s shoulder throughout the negotiations and filming of the movie. Tracy Letts is hysterical in fleeting appearances as Studio Executive Sandy Maddox, boiling with rage over the unbending Stallone. And Stephan James is picture perfect but tragically underused as Apollo Creed actor Carl Weathers. These characters are all such a riot that I wish we could have spent more time with them all.  This movie made me wish the Hollywood of today would still take these gambles, betting on nothing more than a great script, an impossible dream, and an artist crazy enough to refuse to give up on it. Because while this movie reminds us all why Rocky is eternal, it made me just a touch sad for a piece of Hollywood that seems to be going extinct.