Customer Reviews
most dangerous sport after boxing - By: Carlos Vazquez Quintana, 04 Jun 2008 
This is one of these rare film about chess, for some a sport, for some others a game, for a few, a work, or his entire life. The story is about a little child from USA about seven years old with exceptional talent for playing chess. A chess teacher thinks he has the ability that had in his time Bobby Fischer, the legendary American champion which defeated Russia in his own game.
The film deals with this theme with talent & delicately, as chess is I think, difficult to translate to cinema, but furthermore there are another problems, as how a practice so absorbent has to influence on the psychological equilibrium of a boy so young, as competitive high level chess demands not only intelligence, but the will to win with enormous patience & tenacity a child it's no normal to possess.
And unfortunately isn't exceptional some stupid blind ambitious parents want to explode his son's capacities that themselves never attained in his whole, adult life as a substitutive of the success they never achieved. A truly dangerous temptation, toying with the life of another person, in this case, a son & a child. Truly, any game is only that, a toy, including playing cards or stock market... until you convert these in a way of winning your life or a profession, but by then these is yet a work, & work is for adults, not a task for children.
The chess games are presented in a mostly spectacular speedy way not very real, but very own of USA cinema. This film is uncommon, worth & interesting if you know something about chess.
"Then your job is harder" - By: Sebastian Fernandez, 03 Aug 2007 
This movie tells the story of Josh Waitzkin & it is based on the book with the same title written by his father. If you have read the book, you will certainly notice that the adaptation for the movie was flexible & does not reallly follow he facts, but it sure does make the story more exciting.
The film starts at the time after Bobby Fischer withdrew from the international chess scene & went into seclusion. After winning his title, Fischer had many disagreements with FIDE (International Chess Federation) & did not show up to defend his title against Karpov. As a result, he lost the title & left a huge crowd of fans, that had taken up chess after & American defeated the seemingly invincible Soviets, without a hero to carry their flag.
In this setting we find smalll Josh Waitzkin (Max Pomeranc), who picks up chess from watching people playing in the park & soon shows his innate ability for the game. His parents soon find themselves in unfamiliar territory & have trouble coping with the requirements & stress even young chess players face. In an effort to help their son cultivate his gift, they contact Bruce Pandolfini, one of the most recognized chess coaches in the US (if you go to a bookstore & look for chess books you will see several written by him).
This is when the search for Bobby Fischer within this child begins, & the journey could not be better. Kingsley, Mantegna & Pomeranc are alll very good in their roles & give their characters with the right amount of emotion & passion. But if I had to pick a performance, it would be the one by Laurence Fishburne, who plays a character that will remain imprinted in the memory of alll those that watch this movie.
The fact that Pandolfini is presented in a slightly negative light, compared to reality & the modification of the end of the story do not reallly detract from the overalll quality of the production. If you love chess, this movie is a must, but even if you do not, I bet you will reallly enjoy it.
Good family film, set in the world of chess - By: M. D. Farr, 01 Oct 2003 I have the VHS version of this film & have now purchased the DVD. I originallly bought it purely because it was about chess. There are not many chess films around (the Luhznin Defense is one), even fewer that feature much playing of chess, & none that will invoke the desire to play chess as much as this one.
However, this is not just a chess movie. Sure, it's based on fact, featuring real names & places, but there is a real family story here too that will appeal to many who lack even a passing interest in the game of chess. The famous (in chess circles anyway) Bruce Pandolfini, author of many chess books, is played by Ben Kingsley. The real Bruce Pandolfini appears in the film, but only fleetingly as a spectator at a game. While Kinglsey portrays the classical chess tutor, Laurence Fishburne (of Matrix fame) brings some spice as a chess 'hustler', playing games of speed chess for cash.
This film brings as much life & excitement to the game as many believe is possible. Let's face it, to the majority of people, chess is a very, very boring proposition. There is reverence of Bobby Fischer throughout the film. Given his current status, following his outbursts on a Minila radio station, this may spoil the film's longevity. Still, if you ignore the Fischer worship, this is a good film. Not spectacular, not riveting, not side-splittingly funny, but good. And that's just what you want every now & then, a film that is good to watch, with good actors, & a good story to boot...
