Amazon MGM has dropped a new trailer for Peter Farrelly's "I Play Rocky," a film fall festival audiences have embraced wholeheartedly, and one critics seem equally determined to reject.
The film hits theaters in November, a prime fall slot that tells you Amazon MGM is positioning it for a real awards run. Honestly, it's not hard to see why. This is shaping up to be the crowd-pleaser of the season, thanks to Farrelly's old-school direction and, above all, Anthony Ippolito.
The 27-year-old Long Island actor spent nearly two years preparing to play Sylvester Stallone. He nails it.
What makes Ippolito so effective is that he never slips into mere impersonation. It's an endearing turn, so natural that you eventually forget he's playing Stallone at all. The resemblance is uncanny; he looks and sounds remarkably like the man. This isn't his first time stepping into the shoes of a screen legend, either. Ippolito previously played Al Pacino in Paramount's limited series "The Offer."
Some critics, however, clearly haven't forgotten "Green Book," and they seem to have had their knives sharpened for Farrelly ever since. What we're seeing looks like an attempt to handicap the film's Oscar chances before audiences have even had their say.
I don't think it'll work. Audiences, and quite possibly Oscar voters, are going to love this movie.
The story follows Stallone as a broke, struggling actor, practically homeless, who refuses to sell his "Rocky" script unless he gets to star in it. He keeps turning down offers, even as they climb as high as $350,000. Peter Gamble's brisk and very funny script captures that stubbornness perfectly, while Tracy Letts steals scenes as a baffled studio executive who can't fathom why a seemingly penniless actor keeps saying no.
Ippolito leads a cast that also includes:
AnnaSophia Robb as Sasha Czack
Matt Dillon as Frank Stallone Sr.
Stephan James as Carl Weathers
PJ Byrne as producer Irwin Winkler
Jay Duplass as "Rocky" director John G. Avildsen
Farrelly's recent track record has been hit-or-miss. "Ricky Stanicky" came and went, "Balls Up" was a misfire, and "The Greatest Beer Run Ever" drew mixed reviews. But let's not forget this is an Oscar winner for "Green Book," and the guy who, with brother Bobby, gave us comedy classics like "Dumb and Dumber," "There's Something About Mary," and "Kingpin."
A new trailer has dropped for Peter Farrelly’s “I Play Rocky,” a film that fall festival audiences have wholeheartedly embraced, but one that critics seem determined to reject.