Review by Eric Hillis
Directed by: Peter Farrelly
Starring: Anthony Ippolito, Matt Dillon, AnnaSophia Robb, P.J. Byrne, Toby Kebbell, Tracy Letts, Jay Duplass, Stephan James, Kiki Seto
Working class success stories are few and far between in Hollywood, especially today when it seems every new star in Tinseltown is either an imported Brit or a nepo baby. Perhaps the greatest rags to riches story in Hollywood is that of Sylvester Stallone, who through dogged determination defied the odds and became one of American cinema's most bankable stars of the late 20th century.
I Play Rocky tells the story of how a relatively unknown Stallone (Anthony Ippolito) dug his heels into the dirt and insisted that only he could play the role of Rocky Balboa, the protagonist of a script he poured his heart and soul into.
We first meet Stallone auditioning for the role of "Thug #2", and the scene doubles as an audition for Ippolito. Stallone fails but Ippolito passes. We know from this scene that the young actor, who recently played another Italian-American icon, Al Pacino, in TV's The Offer, can pull off a note perfect impersonation of Sly. But as the movie progresses it becomes clear that Ippolito isn't content to simply mimic Stallone's famous mannerisms, his lisp and growly intonations. Ippolito disappears into the role, so much so that when we see clips of Rocky here it isn't immediately clear whether we're watching Stallone in the actual film or Ippolito in a recreation.
Key to the success of director Peter Farrelly's film is Ippolito's ability to capture Stallone's unique overgrown puppy dog charm. In the moments when we see Sly at his lowest - like when he has to sell his beloved dog because he's forced to choose between feeding the mutt and feeding himself and his wife Sacha (AnnaSophia Robb) - we feel for the big lug just as we do for Rocky when he's on the ropes. We want Stallone to succeed, even when it seems like he's being selfish in his desire for fame, turning down the opportunity to provide a life of comfort for his wife and their unborn child by insisting that he play the lead in Rocky. Ippolito also possesses Stallone's under-appreciated comic timing, leading to many laugh out loud moments here.
It's that insistence that fuels the film's core. After failing an audition for the producing duo of Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff (played respectively by PJ Byrne and Toby Kebbell as an entertaining good producer/bad producer double act), Stallone gets his script for Paradise Alley in front of their eyes. Winkler and Chartoff aren't interested in making that movie, but they're impressed enough to ask to see more of his work. Inspired by the reaction of a crowded bar to boxing underdog Chuck Wepner going the distance with Muhammed Ali, Stallone knocks out Rocky in less than a week. The producers love it, but they don't love Stallone's stubborn refusal to sell the script if he can't play the pugilist protagonist.
Thus, Stallone finds himself in a dilemma. Does he take the vast sum of money offered (as high as $400,00 after much negotiating) and live comfortably for the rest of his life, or does he risk it all by staying true to his dreams? Well, we all know how it worked out. With hindsight the idea that Rocky might be played by the studio's preferred choices of Clint Eastwood or Ryan O'Neal seems laughable, but I Play Rocky reminds us just what a gamble was taken by all involved at the time (though it does conveniently overlook the fact that by that point Stallone had notable roles in two sizable hits in The Lords of Flatbush and Death Race 2000 under his belt).
Like Tim Burton's Ed Wood and Richard Linklater's Nouvelle Vague, Farrelly's film will play especially well to movie nerds who enjoy seeing legendary film industry footnotes recreated on screen. When Rocky makes his iconic run up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, it is presented here as a triumphant moment for cinema, the first major use of steadicam, which greatly aided in director John G. Avildsen (Jay Duplass) shooting the film as quickly and cheaply as the studio ultimately demanded. We're reminded of how much of filmmaking is the overcoming of setbacks, as the film's dwindling budget forces Avildsen ad Stallone to become economically creative.
I Play Rocky mirrors the underdog narrative of Rocky itself, though ironically Rocky famously loses his big fight in that movie. Stallone, on the other hand, achieved his wildest dreams. Watching the plucky young Stallone take commercial and creative risks here will have you wondering if maybe his career might have been more interesting had Rocky not been such a juggernaut. But if Stallone is as likeable as his portrayal here, it's hard to begrudge him that success.
I Play Rocky is in UK/ROI cinemas from November 6th.
