the audience applauded

not as good as all the hype

I have absolutely never seen anything like this movie before. You have to see this movie.

One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.

No need for my redundant review of this engaging French drama, driven (as the first-time director admits) by a desire to showcase the brilliant actress Sandrine Bonnaire, but the film's earliest scenes immediately had me wondering. Why didn't star Kevin Kline bring his better half Phoebe Cates with him to Corsica to play the enigmatic role of L'Américaine (portrayed instead by Jennifer Beals) in this film?Like many a fan from the '80s, I've long awaited Phoebe's return to the screen (apart from the indulgent "The Anniversary Party" featuring her whole family with Kline), and here would be a perfect opportunity: just as Charles Bronson's wife Jill Ireland, after her own successful career, later appeared in roles of varying sizes in nearly two dozen Bronson vehicles, Cates would have been a showstopper here, not that Beals is deficient in any way. It would have at least taken away the cryptic nature of Beals showing up at all -with Cates we'd know why.After this popped into my head during the first reel, I remembered that I had, by mere happenstance, had the pleasure of watching movies in theaters in NYC back in the '80s sitting next to both of these great beauties: at an Italian new filmmakers showcase held at the Quad Theater (Beals) and at a Times Square screening room (Cates). So I'm the Kevin Bacon, just like Kline, connecting the two, as trivial a fact as you will ever want to know or more likely not know about.

I largely agree with what others have said here. But there is one flaw that nobody seems to have noticed: not one game of chess in this movie ends with a draw. As everybody with some knowledge of the game is aware of, draws are the rule among advanced players of chess, so a tournament such as the one shown in the movie that works by elimination (quarterfinals, semifinals, final), with only one game between a pair of contestants, is simply not realistic. (The tie could be broken through a game of fast chess, but this is not shown either.) It goes without saying that the whole dramaturgy of the movie would be significantly altered by the sheer possibility of draws. To sum it up, I consider chess a poor choice for communicating the message of this movie. Choose a game that does not permit draws and the problem is solved--although then the somewhat heavy handed symbolism of the queen as the strongest piece would have to be sacrificed.

From the first scene I wanted to physically BE where this film was made. The location shots are absolutely stunning. Hèléne (Sandrine Bonnaire) is a maid who works in a hotel as well as the private home of an expat American, Dr. Kröger (Kevin Kline). While at the hotel, you get the impression that she is harangued and bothered all day long. She is an invisible worker who people only notice when they have something to complain about. However, on this particular day, one of the rooms she enters has a young couple playing chess on the veranda. They are separated from her by nothing more than a loose, sheer panel that sways gently in the breeze but they may as well be miles away. They beckon her to enter the room and she does but she cannot take her eyes off of them while half-heartedly trying to focus on cleaning the room. They each in turn notice her prolonged gaze but they do not mind. She is asked if she plays chess and says no. In that instant, she realizes the great chasm between her life and the two lovers on the veranda. They are carefree, they are in love, they are fulfilled, they are confidant, they are happy, they understand the game. She perceives their status to be out of her reach. She wants to occupy that space but she just doesn't know how nor does she truly believe that she can.By the end of the movie, we see Hèléne achieving her goal of playing an intellectually stimulating and sensually arousing game of chess with her own secret lover but her version far surpasses the scene she first glimpsed early on in the film that started the whole ball rolling. The last chess scene is a scene that says so much about the characters, their deep understanding of the game, their devotion and love to each other, intellectual equals duking it out with an invisible board and chess pieces all visualized and strategized in their minds. Their moves are whispered quietly, eyes transfixed on each other, as they parry for the win. The scene plays homage to the superficially simple yet complex game of chess and to the deep and abiding friendship and love between Dr. Kröger and Hèléne. She always had the power, she just didn't know it, nor did she understand how to use it. Dr. Kröger filled in the blanks and then some. The last scene between them is probably one of the best love scenes I've ever had the privilege to see on screen. And so I leave you with this: Wow!P.S. I found it interesting how this film compares and contrasts with the Japanese film, "Shall We Dance".

On some levels this movie works. Its' slow paced, languid, and the characters draw you in – particularly Sandrine Bonnaire. It's about the addiction of the game of chess and its appeal. So if you feel nothing for the game then you have been warned! The scenery on the island of Corsica is very colourful.However it's also a somewhat self-indulgent film – it's about addiction after all. There are many long and lingering shots of Sandrine and Kevin staring at each other and then at chess pieces. Sandrine's family is so very much accommodating to her new found passion. There is certain lack of logicality – it takes years with many different chess partners to become a solid player and then participate successfully in a tournament. Still the movie does dreamily captivate.