In Philippe Falardeau’s Chuck (called The Bleeder when it played in Toronto last September), star-producer Liev Schreiber portrays Chuck Wepner, a ’70s-era New Jersey prizefighter who served as the real-life inspiration behind Sylvester Stallone‘s Rocky. From a 9.2.16 review by Variety‘s Guy Lodge: “”Hitting many familiar, grainy beats, biopic actually picks up when it retires from the ring as it ditches the expected underdog arc for a compassionate anatomy of an all-purpose loser…Chuck overcomes its slightly put-on 1970s Joisey grit to become quite affecting, thanks in no small part to Schrieber’s self-punishing commitment.” Pic will open on 5.5. via IFC Films.
