A true account of an unknown actor who believed he wasn’t meant to just write “Rocky”, but to play Rocky Balboa. Facing constant rejection, Sylvester Stallone risks everything, refusing to give up the lead role against impossible odds.
There are some films where the story itself does most of the heavy lifting, and ‘I Play Rocky’ is a great example. Directed by Peter Farrelly, it tells the remarkable behind the scenes story of how Sylvester Stallone, then a struggling actor with little to his name, managed to get ‘Rocky’ made in 1976. Having written the screenplay himself, Stallone was determined to play the leading role, despite the studio’s preference for a more established star, and refused to sell the script unless he could star in it. It’s a familiar story to anyone who knows much about the history of ‘Rocky’, but it’s also a really entertaining one, and the film does a very good job of bringing it to life.
Anthony Ippolito plays Stallone and is excellent, doing a remarkably good job of recreating his distinctive voice and mannerisms, while also capturing the determination that drove him during this period of his life. The film follows the various obstacles Stallone faced in getting his screenplay onto the screen, from convincing sceptical producers to making the film on a limited budget, and there’s something really satisfying about watching his persistence gradually pay off. Alongside Ippolito, AnnaSophia Robb is good as his wife Sasha, with some fun supporting performances from the likes of Matt Dillon, Jay Duplass and Tracy Letts.
From a filmmaking perspective, it’s very nuts and bolts, but there’s plenty of interesting detail about the production and the compromises made along the way, and Farrelly does a good job of bringing it all together. The story itself is entertaining enough without needing too much embellishment, and the film is all the better for recognising that – it also works well as one of many parallels with ‘Rocky’ itself, which was made by a director hired for his ability to get things done more than any particular style (granted, this sells Avildsen short, who has some great directing moments in ‘Rocky’).
That said, I did particularly like how effectively the film draws parallels between Stallone’s own story and that of Rocky Balboa, with both men regarded as unlikely contenders who refuse to accept that they don’t belong. There’s a nice irony in the fact that one of cinema’s great underdog stories was itself made possible by an actor who had to fight so hard for the opportunity to tell it, and the film makes good use of that connection without labouring the point. ‘I Play Rocky’ is an entertaining account of how one of the last centuries most iconic movies was made, and I really enjoyed it.
Rating: 4/5
Directed By: Peter Farrelly
Starring: Anthony Ippolito, AnnaSophia Robb, Toby Kebbell, P. J. Byrne, Jay Duplass, Matt Dillon, Stephan James and Tracy Letts
