'Goalie' Review: Mark O'Brien presents a gritty tale of how ice-hockey legend Terry Sawchuk played the game
The life of an ice-hockey goalie is tough. It is tough being battered, bloodied, broken, puck punch-drunk. It's tougher when after all the painful ordeal, you pull yourself up, wipe that nose that's numb after the puck-shellacking, tap the hockey stick and refocus. Had Terry Sawchuk been alive, he'd tell you. Or maybe, his scarred face would. There are some lines in 'Goalie' that are atrociously motivating. "Ice is thicker than blood" or in the words of renowned broadcaster and referee, Red Storey, "An athlete lives in the moment." And Mark O'Brien's Sawchuk was an example. He was a phenomenon.
This biopic was one the world didn't see coming. Terry Sawchuk— a legend, a goalie whose story was not about the fame or the highs and lows chapter that would see him rising from the ashes like a phoenix. It was about a man with a heart with the toughness to go through a slow, nerve-wracking death and suit up just to go over it all again. He hated losing as all athletes did and when he won, he did it with a wry, gentle smile. His celebrations were bourbon-fuelled and eventually, it would lead to his slow crumble.
The 90-minute sports drama gives a fleeting account of Sawchuk's life. Imminent ice-hockey personalities make sporadic appearances now and then and talk about the famed goalie while Adriana Magg's storyline runs through. Off the field, Sawchuk was a man uncomfortable amidst his teammates, but on that sheet of ice, the man was possessed. "Let the goalie go first, open the door to the roaring lights" is a phrase used in the movie each time Sawchuk is on the frame for a game and while he may be the first on the field, he's the last to go off leaving a trail of blood, sometimes content and sometimes seething.
Mark O'Brien shoulders the film by pulling off an impressive portrayal of Ukey. Call it a rightfully raw emotional performance as he slowly hits rock-bottom after finding refuge in alcohol. "I can play this game forever." The final minutes give a fleeting narration of his last days. It's unfortunate that he died when he was 40. His scuffle with teammate Ron Stewart and his death due to a damaged liver are covered and so is his marriage to Pat Morey/Sawchuk (Georgina Reilly, his real-life wife).
There are times when you feel the movie runtime is a little bit less. Especially when Sawchuk switches on the athlete mode in him. Slam him in the face with a hundred pucks, but he wouldn't let it whiz it past him when he was in his elements. Sawchuk was the all-time leader among NHL goaltenders with 447 wins and with 103 shutouts, but this movie doesn't really need to highlight his achievements. That's known. This tale explores the brutality of the sport, the mental and physical strain and a man who willed himself through it with some insanely, sheer, dogged-determination. And that makes 'Goalie' a movie to remember.