Queen to Play | Rotten Tomatoes (original) (raw)
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Ronnie Scheib Variety 07/26/2011 [A] clever feel-good lark. Go to Full Review J. R. Jones Chicago Reader 07/08/2011 Subplots involving the heroine's resentful husband and rebellious teenage daughter never amount to much, though the story builds toward a satisfactory, if formulaic, climax. Go to Full Review Marjorie Baumgarten Austin Chronicle 07/08/2011 Queen To Play, however, competes on a very high level as a story of an inner journey that's not simply black-and-white. Go to Full Review Rene Jordan El Nuevo Herald (Miami) 08/09/2022 Triumph in class about a woman who dares to give the present a check mate. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review Mattie Lucas From the Front Row 08/05/2019 A lovely and beguiling platonic romance, a smart and thoroughly engaging drama that makes chess look thrilling, and intellectual pursuits look sexy. Go to Full Review Kelly Jane Torrance Washington Examiner 01/08/2019 This one is utterly predictable. Worse than that, it's boring. Go to Full Review Read all reviews
02/24/2019 Kevin Kline's French is surprisingly good, and it was unusual to see him in a dramatic role. Sandrine Bonnaire is wonderfully understated as a 40something woman looking for something more in life, she has a real intensity of mien. See more John H @RT38223448 02/02/2019 A pleasant surprise. Predictable? Absolutely, as far as the plotline goes. No matter. In touch with a sort of reality throughout. Absorbing. Woman . . . two menâ¦mainly. Caught up in the midst of their separating lives. I do not speak French and no English soundtrack is available. But the sub-titles were almost unnecessary since the scene development was so carefully constructed so that you easily imagined the conversational flow. The sub-titles are little more than background as you move through each scene. This almost never failed. Magic, in a way. Not a thriller. And not about chess really. The board game is only the grout that binds three lives as they diverge . . . opening and closing life doors. Then, on my next visit to this movie: Watching Queen to Play glide along is like standing beside a beautiful, plush carpet as it slowly unrolls. There are no wrinkles. Only more of the same as the clock ticks on. A lot of serious life unfolds in different rooms but no one gets out of control. Feelings are hurt several times over but then the wounds heal. The characters roll with the punches. Much like real life. Best of all, the perfectly predictable ending has you leaning back comfortably in your seat, thinking, 'I know where this is headed and I don't really need to see the details. It's been an uphill struggle getting to this point and worth every moment. I can almost read what is going on in each character's mind. The Paris tournament will surely be exciting." See more 01/02/2016 An excellent film on many levels. Better to get the DVD so you can see "The making of . . . " which enriches the understanding of the film and adds some interesting facts about kids playing chess. I don't ever watch movies twice before returning, but this may prove to be the exception. See more 12/10/2015 she did not say much in that movie!! See more 04/18/2015 excelente! una historia movilizante, muy sutil y simple. Muy recomendada See more 04/15/2015 Excellent movie if you like chess See more Read all reviews
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Queen to Play (2009) Queen to Play (2009) View more photos
Synopsis Hélène (Sandrine Bonnaire), a housekeeper at a ritzy hotel in Corsica, is devoted to her family but lacks any passion in her own life. When she sees a handsome couple play a passionate game of chess, she becomes inspired to play herself. Hélène's working-class husband (Francis Renaud) and spoiled daughter (Valerie Lagrange) are soon bewildered by her obsession with chess. They also grow suspicious of Hélène's close relationship with Dr. Kröger (Kevin Kline), her eccentric American expat tutor.
Director
Caroline Bottaro
Producer
Dominique Besnehard, Michel Feller
Screenwriter
Caroline Bottaro
Production Co
France 2 (FR2), CinéCinéma, StudioCanal, Filmförderungsanstalt, Tele München Fernseh Produktionsgesellschaft, Blueprint Film, Eurimages, Corsica Pôle Tournages, Collectivité Territoriale de la Corse, Mon Voisin Productions, Canal+, France 2 Cinema, Canal+ Horizons, Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication, Centre National de la Cinematographie
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 22, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$478.6K
Runtime
1h 37m