Chuck

Philippe Falardeau's boxing movie is based on the true-life story of Chuck Wepner, a New Jersey boxer known as the Bayonne Bleeder, who was tapped in 1975 for a world title match against Muhammad Ali. Against all expectations Wepner almost managed to go the full 15 rounds, and even sent the champ to the mat at one point (allegedly by stepping on Ali's foot). While the movie does include some fight footage, the emphasis is actually on how Wepner (Liev Schreiber) handled his sudden fame—which increased astronomically after his unlikely semi-triumph became the inspiration for Sylvester Stallone's amazingly successful underdog tale Rocky. Wepner's behavior led to a divorce from his long-suffering wife (Elisabeth Moss), estrangement from his daughter, and descent into a chaotic life of drug addiction and dealing that ended in a prison term. Also featuring Michael Rapaport as Wepner's intervention-minded brother, and Naomi Watts as a supportive bartender, Chuck might not break any new ground in the pugilist film genre, but it tweaks the formula sufficiently to stand out, and it offers an interesting footnote to the Rocky series. Recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include an “All About Chuck” behind-the-scenes segment (4 min.). Bottom line: a small extras package for a solid boxing bio-pic.] (F. Swietek)