London Film Festival‘s surprise film on Friday night was “I Play Rocky,” Peter Farrelly’s biographical drama about the beginnings of Sylvester Stallone‘s beloved boxing franchise. Farrelly was on hand to introduce the movie and shouted out his star, newcomer Anthony Ippolito, who has already earned praise for his portrayal of Stallone. This kid is ridiculous,” Farrelly said, adding that the 27-year-old sent in a self-tape before the film team even began what was meant to be a “worldwide search” for who would play Stallone.
Alongside Ippolito, it stars AnnSophia Robb as Sasha Czack, Stallone’s wife; Matt Dillon as his father, Frank Stallone Sr.; P.J. Byrne as “Rocky” producer Irwin Winkler; Jay Duplass as director John G. Farrelly added that he’s most proud of the fact that Stallone himself is pleased with the movie.
Variety‘s chief film critic Owen Gleiberman called the film a “cleverly-crafted crowd pleaser” and praised Ippolito for getting his portrayal of Stallone “just right,” writing: “Watching and listening to Anthony Ippolito, we can believe that Sylvester Stallone is standing right in front of us, though the performance is more than just an awesome impersonation. He’s truly playing Stallone — the sweetly stubborn and dogged person he was at the time.” “I Play Rocky” is set to hit U.S. and U.K. theaters on Nov. 6.
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