Review: HIFF Opening Night Movie: I PLAY ROCKY

The 34th Hampton's International Film Festival has come to the East End with all its fanfare and glitter. Celebrity parties and plenty of red carpets fill venues across the East End. The celebrated opening night film was "I PLAY ROCKY," which actually opened in two venues, the East Hampton Middle School and United Artists (UA-1.) On the Red Carpet among others was David Nugent, who is now HIFF Chief Creative Officer. For Nugent, it is his 20th HIFF. This film is electrifying because it chronicles a then-unknown actor, Sylvester Stallone, as he battles Hollywood to become Rocky Balboa in his movie script "ROCKY."

I PLAY ROCKY is directed by Peter Farrelly and written by Peter Gamble. Peter Farrelly is a two-time Academy Award® winner, most recently with "GREEN BOOK," which also played at a previous HIFF. It is an Amazon MGM Studios release.

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The film includes the performance from Anthony Ippolito, a winner of the HIFF 2026 FLYTE Breakthrough Performer award for his role in this movie. Sylvester Stallone reportedly saw footage of this film and at firstthought Anthony Ippolito was actually old footage of himself. He is quoted as saying the uncanny resemblance is "unbelievable." This reviewer agrees, because Mr. Ippolito takes this film on his back and carries it to a place that makes this (Italian) reviewer conclude it's one of the four or five best movies he's seen while covering the festival for the last 22 years.

Adding to the magic that makes this film such a great movie is the performance of AnnaSophia Robb as Sasha Czack, who was Stallone's first wife. She brings a sensitive, loving touch along with a zesty energy to the screen. Matt Dillon has some memorable moments as Stallone's father, as does Kiki Seto portraying Talia Shire's famous role of Adrian in the original ROCKY movie.

Jay Duplass who plays the original director of ROCKY is tremendous. Toby Kebbell as Robert Chartoff and P.J. Byrne as Irwin Winkler are hilarious in their roles as the real ROCKY film producers. However, it is the work of Tracy Letts as studio executive Sandy Maddox that had this reviewer laughing out loud throughout the film.

While watching, I PLAY ROCKY, the viewer will learn many interesting behind the scenes details on how the original ROCKY film was made, filmed and produced with very little money. It shows how often they werehiding from unions and without official permits which meant shooting live on the fly. To do this the original ROCKY was shot with a then newly developed mobile camera that saved big bucks. I PLAY ROCKY willdramatically show how the famous scene up those 72 steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art wascreatively filmed. In fact, I PLAY ROCKY, is a case study within a movie with a touching love story and underdog theme of how the original ROCKY movie fought all odds to be made, let alone become so successful. It's incredible to think that the original ROCKY was produced for just under $1M while this new 2026 film, I PLAY ROCKY was produced for a reportedly $26M.

The work Director of Photography Sean Porter in I PLAY ROCKY is of Academy Award quality. The angles, the close-ups along with all the other camera work is noticeably applaudable.

For all information on all the 2026 HIFF films and events visit:https://filmguide.hamptonsfilmfest.org/2026-film-guide/