Best Picture: Rocky (Yo Adrian!)

I did a Rocky "The Italian Stallion" Balboa one-two punch yesterday, first taking in a viewing of Creed at the dollar theater and then catching Rocky on Amazon.

First to quickly discuss Creed. It's a good movie, but not really necessary. I don't believe anyone was clamoring for a film about Apollo Creed's heretofore unknown illegitimate child. But it's fun to watch, and Stallone, who created Rocky forty years ago, knows the character well and inhabits him with all the years of Rocky's life. I particularly enjoyed the scene where Rocky sits at the cemetery, on a chair he leaves in a tree, to sit with is dead wife and friend as he read the newspaper.

 As I watched Rocky, I realized that I knew about it, but had never actually seen it. And it's fantastic. Rocky is such a cool character and Stallone has written him as a person you want to root for. He wears glasses. He has regrets. He gets nervous to ask a girl out. When he opens up to Adrian about his fears the night before the fight my heart breaks for him.

The film surprised me on all counts and for that I'm glad. I like that I can be surprised still by films that are such a part of pop culture, but are so much more than the little snippets most people know about them. Also, that sweater Rocky wears - fantastic.

It became obvious while watching Rocky that Creed is essentially the same movie - it hits all the same story beats and themes, and even uses (to great effect) the motif of conversations being had through closed doors. I love that. However, the story of Rocky Balboa is more interesting than the story of Adonis Johnson Creed. The film makes this same argument, but still insists that Adonis' story and rise to boxing greatness is worthy of our time. I believe it's made worthy by Rocky (and Stallone) being a part of the story. His story is filled with history, we know his life and the knocks he's had and the losses he's had. It's deep and moving.

A quick sidenote about the #OscarsSoWhite controversy that is attached to this film. It stars a black man and is directed by a black man, and people are upset that the film only garnered one nomination - Sylvester Stallone for Best Supporting Actor. In my opinion this is less a slight to black filmmakers and actors and more a recognization of an aging actor in a sentimental role first seen forty years ago. The film is good, but not really "Oscar-caliber", and if Stallone hadn't been in it we would not be talking about it at all this awards season.