I Play Rocky
Written by Cameron Geiser
Warning: This review is for I Play Rocky, which is a film presented at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival. There may be slight spoilers present. Reader discretion is advised.
Image courtesy of the Toronto International film Festival.
Okay, listen. You may be thinking, “A perfect score for the Stallone flick? Are you kidding me?” No, no I am not. I Play Rocky, written by Peter Gamble and directed by Peter Farrelly, has the spirit of what makes great films stand out from the crowd. I know I may be a sucker for “Movies about Movies”, but this is one of the best among the genre of stories about people making stories come to life. As it is said in this film, I Play Rocky has “The Thing”, which actually consists of several things, but chief among them is Anthony Ippolito as a young and hungry Sylvester Stallone. He is literally perfect as the Hollywood star, from his signature speech and mannerisms to his calm defiance of Hollywood’s upper crust. The aforementioned other things are a strong supporting cast and impeccable whip-snap writing that bites with heart, humor, and grit.
I had heard a few elements of Stallone’s story in creating Rocky, that he had written the script over a weekend after being inspired by seeing a boxing match at a bar, but I did not know the extent of the lengths he had to go through to get the film’s production rolling. For a man that was literally sleeping on the streets of New York, always having trouble paying all bills, eventually with a child on the way as well, he kept turning down hundreds of thousands of dollars from the studio for his script– that takes a lot of courage. All because he wanted to play the role of Rocky when the executives wanted an established movie star to helm the picture. It’s this desperation and knowing that if given the shot, you give it all you’ve got that propels the film forward with such earnestness. In fact it isn’t until the two producers, Irwin Winkler (P.J. Byrne) and Robert Chartoff (Toby Kebbell), bring Stallone the good news that he can star in the film that some tension is cut and you can breathe for a moment. However getting to pre-production was only the first real step because the studio executives make every following step he takes that much harder. They wanted him to fail, it would save them money and Sandy Maddox (Tracy Letts) would love nothing more than to punt this young actor and writer to the curb for daring to demand the lead role and turn down hundreds of thousands of dollars dozens of times over just to get his shot at starring in his own story.
Once the pieces start to fall into place you realize just how much was working against them once the cast and crew were formed. Jay Duplass does a fantastic job as the Director John G. Avildsen who’s down to work with all the restrictions but as he declares upon arriving in the film, “I’m also known to be kind of a dick.” Which is mostly just him bickering with the cast and crew and at his wits’ end with all of the unprofessionalism at times. The trio of Winkler, Chartoff and Avildsen are not only crucial to the plot but integral for this film as Stallone’s shepherds into Hollywood because ultimately they want him to succeed, often by handing out hard truths to the young actor– but also by just being so damned funny and entertaining. I also have to mention the fact that Stallone’s relationship with his father (Matt Dillon) and his wife Sasha (AnnaSophia Robb) are at the core of understanding who Stallone was at that time and in a few powerful scenes these relationships reveal Stallone’s psyche and insights that put him on the path to stardom through thick and thin.
I Play Rocky has the magic, and as mentioned before this is due to the writing, the directing, and cast filled with excellent character actors, all of it combined to a surprisingly superb collaboration. That being said, none of it would have worked if Anthony Ippolito wasn’t cast as Stallone. I believe he is destined for stardom much like Stallone was. I look forward to seeing what he does next because he was completely and totally believable in the role and simply put, he was perfect for this movie. He’s quiet and unassuming- until he’s not. Full of calm self assured confidence, even when he’s breaking down with anxiety and unsure of what to do. He has plenty of smooth self deprecation and a willingness to go the distance and do everything he can and more to get the film made.
Just as an aside to note that it wasn’t just me, but the audience I saw this film with was ecstatic at times. Laughing often, sniffling when he had to sell his dog for money, dead silent at the dramatic beats, and at one point people were literally cheering in their seats. Though to be fair, the cheering was for a specific line from studio executive Sandy Maddox when Winkler and Chartoff brought the script to him and he was ranting about Hollywood politics, paused for a moment and with spite in his eyes said “Fuck Paramount”. It was the one moment when the real world of 2026 broke through momentarily when everyone in the room agreed in unison. Yeah, fuck Paramount.
Cameron Geiser is an avid consumer of films and books about filmmakers. He'll watch any film at least once, and can usually be spotted at the annual Traverse City Film Festival in Northern Michigan. He also writes about film over at www.spacecortezwrites.com.