Chess is a fascinating game, but one that can move slowly for the spectator. Yet the pastime — or, for many, the obsession — has inspired some engaging movies: “The Luzhin Defense,” “Searching for Bobby Fischer,” “The Seventh Seal.” Unfortunately, “Queen to Play” cannot be added to that list. The French film stars Sandrine Bonnaire as Helene, a chambermaid at a luxury hotel in Corsica. Cleaning a room one day, she sees the occupants (Dominic Gould and a luminous Jennifer Beals) on the balcony playing chess. It’s an oddly erotic image: They graze fingers as the move the pieces, looking at each other with deep pleasure.
Helene wants this scene to take place in her own kitchen, so she buys her husband Ange (Francis Renaud) an electronic chess set for his birthday. The boatyard worker is stunned: Why would he want to play a game he cannot understand? So Helene teaches herself and, in the process, becomes consumed. Out to dinner with Ange, she arranges pieces of bread into a makeshift board; her oblivious husband eats them. Anxious to improve her play, she asks the hard-headed American doctor for whom she cleans to tutor her. Kroeger (Kevin Kline, in his first French-speaking role) is reluctant, but soon looks forward to their games as much as Helene does. Ange, of course, soon discovers their meetings and becomes enraged, not just at the doctor, but at the obsession that’s taken over his wife’s life.
| On screen |
| ‘Queen to Play’ |
| 1.5 out of 5 stars |
| Stars: Sandrine Bonnaire, Kevin Kline |
| Director: Caroline Bottaro |
| Rated: Not rated (suitable for all audiences) |
| Running time: 96 minutes |
“Queen to Play” falls into the category of “female empowerment flick”; it’s not a genre that often produces great films. This one is utterly predictable. Worse than that, it’s boring. Better to watch another French film about another cleaning woman who turns out to be something of an intellectual, “The Hedgehog.” This film has many shots of the beautiful island: As Helene looks around her, we understand how content she is simply to be there. The actress who plays her is charming. She’s quiet, until provoked, and so much of her story is told through Bonnaire’s wholly expressive face.
But her transformation from quiet wife and worker to ambitious player isn’t enough to keep us interested. As Helene notes in the film, the queen is the most powerful piece. But one can’t play a good game with just one piece to move.
