Le jeu de la dame

When you've seen everything on Netflix, a you will watch any new show they throw at you. I did not have high expectations. But I was so wrong. So wonderfully and totally wrong. We watched Queen's Gambit, all seven hours of it, in a single sitting. This show is an absolute gem. Remarkable acting by Anya Taylor-Joy who will be a force to be reckoned with, her child counterpart- an absolute marvel. The series is smart, it's inspiring at times, it's sad and heartbreaking at times. Who knew watching game-plays of simulated chess can make your heart pound out of your ears? Truly, a story of determination, friendship, self discovery, struggle and triumph. I don't know about you, but my ceiling will be covered in chess pieces tonight.

It's not only a good series, it's not only the wonderful story, acting, cinematography, music. You watch it and it feels like the movie itself is a chessgame. With a rather weak opening indeed, a fabulous middlegame and a perfect ending. It's the kind of movies/series that stucks you in your armchair, on your couch or even in your bed anyway, forgetting about eating, sleeping, living. After the end, the return to reality has not yet occurred. You are still tormented in dimly lit orphanages, you travel all over the world, you are welcomed in super-bright chess tournaments a little more arrogant and well-dressed and you analyze variants. Do not miss it!

I was absolutely blown away by how good The Queen's Gambit was! The only reason I actually started watching it was because of all the great ratings/reviews and I'm glad I did because it was such an entertaining series. It's set during the Cold War era and follows orphaned chess prodigy Beth Harmon (Anya Taylor-Joy) as she struggles with addiction in her quest to become the greatest chess player in the entire world. Taylor-Joy has been a rising star for the last few years but she breaks out here as she was just absolutely terrific as the lead. She's now one of the hottest young actresses in Hollywood. This ended up winning an Emmy for most Outstanding Limited Series.

The Queen's Gambit was a random find for me. I started watching it without any expectations but the first episode was just enough to keep me interested. As I kept watching, it kept getting better and I must say the 7th episode was one of the best finale to a series that I have ever watched. The character developments for even the minor characters were well-thought-out and I immediately formed an emotional connection with most of them. The finale was so well done that it almost felt like an end to a show with several seasons rather than a limited series. The show also had very good messages sprinkled in between, they were subtle and didn't make me feel like an agenda was being showed down my throat. The acting was marvelous. The cinematography was great with some very impressive scene transitions. The score was amazing and really set the atmosphere and the tone of the show. If you are reading this before watching the show, go ahead and watch it. You won't be disappointed.

Yes, yes, Anya Taylor-Joy and those eyes. Superb, praise from the rooftops.

But let's also acknowledge that the astonishing Isla Johnston carries the first few episodes with an equally compelling performance, far beyond her years.

The handover from Isla to Anya is almost seamless, which is quite remarkable when we consider the intensity of the character. That an actor of Johston's age could have pulled that off is extraordinary.