Review of Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993) by Paul N — 06 May 2011

I didn't want to like this movie. I put off seeing it for nearly 20 years. And dagnabit, I liked it. I liked the eclectic cast. I liked the dark wood paneled rooms. I liked being reminded that 20 years ago people could still smoke inside. I liked the chess.

What is the proper motivation for doing something? Should we be motivated out of love? Out of a passionate desire to do something? Out of a coldly disciplined understanding that fun is fleeting and joy can be elusive? Do we run from our gut or our head, and is it possible to reconcile these seemingly polar opposites? How strong is the temptation to foist our own unrequited desires for glory and accolades onto our children? This movie raises a lot of questions. It doesn't deal with them all in the most graceful of manners, but it does show that answers can be found. Imperfect answers. Answers that can be painful and bewildering just as surely as they are joyous and consoling.

The film bogged down a bit towards the middle, with the predictable (perhaps inevitable) overbearingness and expectation of the boy's father reaching a crisis point. This felt artificial and contrived. Equally outrageous is mom's reaction and ultimatum. I wondered who these two people were that spent the rest of the film being quietly decent in their respective vocations. Perhaps their evil twins slipped in during the middle.

As is easily the case, options become exaggerated. Laurence Fishburne is the trash-talking, street-wise, of-dubious-backgrounds park chess hustler who admires Josh's ability and can leave it at that. Ben Kingsley is the aloof and wounded chess master, amazed and tantalized at Josh's talent and tempted to use Josh to vindicate his own past. Their very different approaches to the game clash, further contributing to his fears of failing and uncertainty about whether or not he wants to be a chess phenom.

Aside from some of the heavy-handed and even unbelievable plot machinations, the movie is great. Pomeranc is convincing as a normal 7-year old with an extraordinary ability. He never slides over the line into unbearable cuteness or over-maturity. You want Pomeranc to be happy, even as you're not sure what that will mean - or should mean.

If you're worried about chess being a boring topic for a film, don't be. You don't need to understand the game extensively to enjoy the film. But for those of us who love the game, this film is a very enjoyable tribute to how it can bring out the best - or worst - in each of us.