Outsider

This is a really good film. It's based on the true story that inspired Sylvester Stallone's Rocky movie. It has everything you want, every single actor is perfect in every way. I didn't know who was in it when I started watching and the well known actors revealed along the way sometimes took a minute or two before you knew who they were. Every single frame of this was well done. Highly recommended for folks who like paced movies about extraordinary 'normal' people. Lots of reunioning big and small screen actors came together to make this.

"Chuck" is one interesting and dark biopic tale of fame and the fall that one can take when they don't know how to deal with the success and money that brings along vices. Anyway most movie and sports fans are familiar with the story of how Sly Stallone brought about the story of "Rocky" it was thru the boxing match of little known Chuck Wepner and when he faced "The Greatest" Muhammad Ali and took him the distance in a real life bout. And this picture tells the story pretty well.

"Chuck" is an up and down story of good times and bad times it's a roller coaster ride of hope, luck, inspiration, and reflection of life. Set in 1970's New Jersey boxer Chuck Wepner(in a good turn from Liev Schreiber)gets the title shot of his life against Muhammad Ali and the "Bayonne Bleeder" goes the distance in a tough loss, and this becomes the inspiration for the real movie "Rocky".

After becoming a celebrity with fame and money the abuse of cocaine and alcohol becomes so common for Chuck and he drifts away from his wife(Elisabeth Moss) and family so self destruction is so the norm as Chuck's life goes down the drain and even serves a prison stint. Thru it all this guy is a bleeder of life and determination a fighter. As Chuck even starts a new romance with a new lady(played by Naomi Watts).

The film has a mix of past footage from the actual fight and the picture is told thru Chuck's voice as he recounts his life and times and the 1970's period is captured just fine. Overall good real life story about the rise of fame and it's a showcase of struggle and redemption, proving not always if you win or lose, but it matters if you go the distance.

Liev Schreiber gives a great performance as Chuck Wepner. He actually makes Chuck look like a wayward but charming kid. 'The Bayonne Bleeder' so called because he easily got cut, managed to land a title shot with Muhammad Ali in 1975 as Ali wanted to fight a top white contender.

Wepner then found fame of sorts later as Sylvester Stallone supposedly based Rocky on Wepner. A nobody who lands a world title shot.

After the fight with Ali, Chuck's life spirals downwards with drugs, booze and partying. His wife (Elisabeth Moss) unhappy with his womanising finally has enough and leaves him. Chuck hits rock bottom when he is set up for a drug bust.

You get the feeling once the Ali fight is done with, the film is over. After that it really is Chuck acting stupid and immature. A story that applies to hundreds of boxers.

Director Philippe Falardeau gives this film a strong period setting, he also brings out good performances from the actors that includes Ron Perlman and Naomi Watts.

Always good to see Ray Donovan and never more so than in this true story that inspired the Rocky movies.

Well put together movie with a well time narration throughout, they done a great job with setting this film in the 70's

Nice easy watch and very well filmed I thought the narration worked perfect with what was happening, solid acting and a good choice of cast,

I found the story really interesting even though I know the outcome of the Ali fight I was still cheering Chuck on.

The first thing Chuck did right was it allowed me to be immersed into this world. The film takes place in the 60's and 70's, and I felt like I was right there! Everything from the costumes to the production design to being made on film, it all worked to create a very vintage look. I felt like I was right with these characters, and I think all the time and care that went into crafting the look of the film needs to be recognized. To take it a step further, the performances are what ultimately sold me. Sure, everything looked gorgeous and vintage, but I was not watching actors; I was watching characters. And that was key in selling me on this world they were displaying. Schrieber is fantastic in this movie! This may be the strongest performance I've seen him give. He, and everyone else too, was almost unrecognizable. This character could easily have been played as one-note, but Schrieber brought so many different layers to him. You understand that he's a really despicable guy, but Schrieber lets you see that he's really a broken man who has lost his way. You're not exactly sure whether Chuck is the protagonist or the antagonist, but it's the subtlety of Schrieber's acting that really lets you buy into this complex character.