THE ROCKET

“The best hockey scenes ever presented in a feature film.”—Jason Anderson, eye. “For Quebecers—in particular, francophone Quebecers—Maurice “Rocket” Richard holds a singular place in social and political history. He overcame physical difficulties (he broke an ankle early in his career) and prejudicial attitudes (the National Hockey League was run by English Canadians who had a clear disdain for predominantly working-class Québécois players) to become a hockey phenomenon. He helped make the Montreal Canadiens virtually unbeatable in the 1950s. Given Richard's life story—a classic underdog sports tale that intersects with politics—it's surprising that it's taken this long for the narrative to wend its way into cinemas. Directed by Charles Binamé, starring Roy Dupuis and written by Ken Scott ( Seducing Doctor Lewis ), the biopic is a hugely entertaining and invigorating bit of filmmaking.”—Matthew Hays, CBC.ca