Liev Schreiber stars in Chuck |
To Legends
Rotten Tomatoes Plot: He was the pride of Bayonne, New Jersey, a man who went 15 rounds in the ring with Muhammad Ali, and the real life inspiration for Rocky Balboa. But before all that, Chuck Wepner (Liev Schreiber) was a liquor salesman and father with a modest prizefighting career whose life changed overnight when, in 1975, he was chosen to take on The Greatest in a highly publicized title match. It's the beginning of a wild ride through the exhilarating highs and humbling lows of sudden fame; but what happens when your 15 minutes in the spotlight are up? Driven by a committed performance from Liev Schreiber, Chuck is a refreshingly human tale of resilience and redemption. Elisabeth Moss and Naomi Watts co-star. Directed by Philippe Falardeau.
Schreiber declares, "My name is Chuck Wepner. You don't know me. Well, you do know me; but you don't know you know me." Confused? Don't be. Falardeau's Chuck isn't hard to follow. If anything, it's not deep enough; which is a shame given Schreiber's magnetic performance. The (better) first half is all about his fight with Ali. The actual boxing is far from convincing, but Wepner's personal story is quite entertaining. Unfortunately, the second half erodes into tales of drug use and his association with Rocky. Bor-ing. OK as a biopic; but next time, dig deeper (and end with Ali.)
Grade: C