The 35th Heartland International Film Festival wrapped up over a week ago, and I was lucky enough to attend for my sixth year, where I got to see three upcoming films out this fall. I’ve already reviewed Wild Horse Nine, and the other two I saw are worth checking out at the end of the year: I Play Rocky and The Debut. It would’ve been four with Elsinore, but my body was a pain in the ass that day, and I needed to stay home after work. If these two pique your interest, let me share my thoughts and see if they’re worth your time.
‘I Play Rocky’
As for biopics being made today in Hollywood, I Play Rocky could’ve gone either way when I heard this was getting made. With this focus on a young Sylvester Stallone and the making of the film that made him a superstar, the story is compelling, if you don’t know it. The thing is, 1976’s Rocky came out of nowhere; it became a critical hit and won three Academy Awards, including Best Picture. A true story that seems inspirational on the surface probably won’t appeal to anyone who isn’t a die-hard fan of the ongoing boxing franchise or follows its star’s career. There was this feeling it wouldn’t have much substance. But what biopic in the last few years hasn’t been? Everyone who saw it early at TIFF was raving about it, which made me hesitant to believe it could be THAT good. However, I was completely surprised: I Play Rocky is a crowd-pleasing film and a true underdog story.
What’s the Story: When we first meet Sylvester Stallone (Anthony Ippolito) in 1974, he is a struggling actor failing to find the work he needs to make a living. He sleeps on the streets, and his most prominent role is in a softcore porno for quick cash. He falls in love with his coworker, Sasha Czack (AnnaSophia Robb), at the movie theater, and she sees the potential in him that no one else recognizes. Moving to Los Angeles brings him hardships; he works as a valet to make ends meet and even sells his dog, Butkus, to afford groceries. His opportunity finally arrives when he meets producers Irwin Winkler (P.J. Byrne) and Robert Chartoff (Toby Kebbell); although they like his scripts, they aren’t fully convinced yet. Watching a boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Chuck Wepner inspired him to write Rocky in three and a half days. Everyone loves the script, but they aren’t sure he is the right man to portray the one and only Rocky Balboa.
Usually, I’m a sucker for movies about making an existing film, because they offer a cinematic glimpse into turning a dream into reality. That’s why I really appreciate Dolemite Is My Name, The Disaster Artist, and Ed Wood. Whereas those films were done with a comedic lens on projects that are “so bad they’re good,” everyone loves Rocky, and you’re wrong if you think otherwise. Even if you know how the story goes, it still leaves you invested in the passion it takes to achieve the seemingly impossible in the Hollywood industry. I Play Rocky does the same, with the team showing incredible dedication as they recreate scenes nearly shot-for-shot at the original locations.
Anthony Ippolito faced the impossible task of convincing the audience he was playing Sylvester Stallone at a time when everyone in the mid-70s was starting to know his name. The initial fear that it was just an impression quickly faded because this brilliant, uncanny performance is hard to shake. He not only resembles him in voice, capturing Stallone’s mannerisms and speech patterns, but he also makes us root for Stallone, determined to play the title role. Not Burt Reynolds, not Ryan O’ Neal, nor the other stars—to prove he can write a damn good boxing drama and has the heart to play the character right. He could’ve taken the money they’re offering and lived the rest of his life, but he turns it down every time Stallone believes Rocky is good enough. Who knows if Ippolito will get typecast for playing younger versions of actors, since he also played Al Pacino in the miniseries The Offer, but I want to see Ippolito wherever he can.
Hearing Peter Farrelly was directing didn’t hook me. We’ve seen what he can do in great comedies with his brother Bobby, like Dumb and Dumber and There’s Something About Mary. Nobody saw his shift into serious work coming with Green Book—which has aged poorly after controversially winning Best Picture. Then he followed that up with The Greatest Beer Run Ever, which nobody remembers, and what many have called an abomination on Amazon Prime, Balls Up. Farrelly doesn’t usually stand out for a distinct visual style, but working from Peter Gamble’s authentic, albeit formulaic, script easily makes this one of his best works to date. Their combined talents capture the stressful chaos of going into film production. It mirrors how John G. Avildsen (Jay Duplass) saw Rocky as a character study rather than just a boxing movie. That was a different, persistent vision—filming in Philadelphia on a budget under $1 million, with the team scrambling to stay on schedule.
Sure, this film follows a formulaic format, painting the usual highs and lows, but it remains fascinating nonetheless. The momentum is maintained through well-timed humor and strong chemistry. The scene where Stallone needs a reality check—where Rocky’s argument with Mickey forces him to dig deep—becomes the ultimate “moment” of the film.
While Ippolito was great, he’s backed by a nice supporting cast. P.J. Byrne and Toby Kebbell gel well as Winkler and Chartoff, who are willing to risk financing the film. AnnaSophia Robb, whom I haven’t seen in years, makes a suitable love interest in Sasha, sharing believable chemistry with Ippolito that goes beyond supportive wife. The standouts, aside from Stephan James’s portrayal of the late Carl Weathers, were the always-reliable Tracy Letts (my birthday twin) as Sandy Maddox—the United Artists studio head who insists audiences don’t want to see boxing movies after they failed in the past and doesn’t consider Stallone in the lead. I saw this after the Warner Bros./Paramount merger announcement, and he made a pretty relevant comment about The Godfather‘s success that made me laugh. Matt Dillon was good as Sly’s father, Frank Sr., though they didn’t explore their relationship and his childhood much and could’ve used more of him. By the way, Dillon is another actor I haven’t seen much of lately.
Some will argue it lacks substance if you’re mapping out the characters and ideas, and it ends almost abruptly, without a flash-forward showing how successful it turned out. However, I understand why I Play Rocky is a delightful and inspiring dramedy that charmed me on the drive home. It’s been getting positive reviews so far, so it’s worth checking out once it hits theaters. As for its awards chances, its tone may not carry the same momentum as other contenders, but I can see it earning a Best Casting nomination.
Grade: B+
‘The Debut’
I strongly felt The Debut would play at Heartland, along with other festival circuits, and I was right. This was one of the most anticipated non-blockbusters for the fall for a few reasons: It stars two legends I’ve grown up with, Julianne Moore and Paul Giamatti, and this happens to be writer/director Jesse Eisenberg’s third feature film and his follow-up to A Real Pain, one of my favorites of 2014 that won Kieran Culkin an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. For Eisenberg, especially, it could only go up from here to show he’s one of the few actors transitioning into directing who can evolve. After seeing the film a week later on closing night, that’s still true: The Debut is the kind of farcical, witty comedy you must see for Moore’s brilliant performance alone.
What’s the Story: Mona Friedman (Moore) is a meek housewife with two college-bound kids, while her husband doesn’t exactly pay attention to her. Trying to forge a new path in her life, she auditions for the role of Miss Danielle in the musical Nosy Neighbors at the Brook Arts Center in New Jersey. Mona hasn’t sung since she was a teenager, and her audition didn’t impress director Jerry Blankenbehler (Giamatti). She didn’t initially get it until she received a call at night that she got the part after its original star, Serena Cherry (Bernadette Peters), dropped out because the character was “too small. “He decides to give Mona a chance, as she actually embraces the community with her fellow actors, and it falls upon him to get the most out of Mona to understand how to become the part she’s really playing.
The first thing I noticed is how The Debut differs sharply from Eisenberg’s previous two works. Whereas When You’re Finish Saving The World and A Real Pain aimed to be more sentimental and grounded, this approach becomes more surreal as it progresses. From the trailer, you might expect a comedic take on Whiplash, but I wouldn’t say it goes that far. Mona enters the theater community to pass the time rather than rely on her family. Hearing about Miss Danielle, the building superintendent in the musical, seemed like the perfect opportunity for her to come out of her shell. However, Jerry focuses on her, even though everyone else in the ensemble seems to do nothing wrong in his eyes. When he decides to help her understand her character, it awakens something inside her that is far more than the simple note painted there to signify “rent’s due” beneath the stale acting and not quite hearing her sing.
You want to talk about a performance no one else could pull off—Julianne Moore is incredible in every way. She has done a few comedies in her decades of acting, but she hasn’t reached this level before. The audience feels empathy for Mona, who wants to try something new and be good enough to join the musical and fit in with everyone. She has a moment of realization as she steps into the mind of a real-life superintendent who becomes weirdly obsessive, to the point that she points out that the logic Miss Danielle would use doesn’t make sense to her. The problem being it’s an old musical no one will notice. Mona’s willing to go as far as she can to show audiences why method acting isn’t always the smartest decision when playing a character on stage or film. For Mona, it awakened a passion many aspire to accomplish: finding her true self. It goes to places I couldn’t see coming and leaves you with a range of emotions throughout. This is Moore’s film from start to finish, and it wouldn’t be shocking if this performance earns her a second Best Actress Oscar this spring.
Also, let’s not forget Paul Giamatti, who follows up another career-best performance in The Holdovers with a stellar turn here. He plays Jerry as the kind of theater director who is stern yet honest when giving feedback to his actors. Near the end, he explains his hopes and dreams, which makes his character more layered than expected. The chemistry between the two leads excels, as their relationship shifts from helpful to nearly destructive. One moment had my crowd clapping when Jerry breaks down Mona’s walls by having her tell him why Miss Danielle needs the rent. It’s the kind of private rehearsal/ one-on-one monologue that had me laughing so hard, and that is when I knew the rest of the film would be amazing. What’s hilarious, though, is how seriously they take it, even though this fictional musical is so campy. I’m dying to watch that scene again.
Eisenberg’s screenplay is on point, making it one of A24’s funniest movies. It was tough deciding between this and A Real Pain, which had the stronger script. However, while the latter was more moving and hit close to home for me after its release, this film is a love letter to small-town community theaters; it reminds us that no matter your stage in life, it is never too late to discover new passions. He has also established himself as a director with a clear vision for modern comedy. I haven’t been part of a theater community in a while (if I had, I’d would’ve graduated from Carnegie Mellon), but this film reminded me how much fun it is to laugh with an audience. In addition to writing and directing, he wrote all the catchy original songs for this made-up musical, which is impressive and made me wish I had that creativity to write my own musical.
Overall, would I recommend The Debut when it comes out in December? Absolutely, it’s one of the best movies I’ve seen all year. I knew I’d at least like it, but I gotta give Eisenberg credit for the surprise and for showing more confidence behind the camera than ever. If you’re not familiar with musical theater, you’ll still have a ball with this crowd-pleasing comedy, thanks to its hilarious writing and unforgettable acting.
