Joueuse - Queen to Play

Joueuse is one of those French films that tenderly and charminlgly warms the heart - it is beautifully made with fine acting, a measured script, never too much or too little - and it rewards the viewer.

The plot of the cleaning lady who discovers chess and a mentor has strong fairytale tones: she is poor, he lives in a château but has withdrawn from the world. She has a husband who struggles to understand his wife's new found interest and growth, he struggles with human interaction. Throughout there is a nice balance around the relationships that makes sense.

Above all, this is a film about discovering that the things we do for pleasure bring their own reward. The chess is very well-handled throughout the film and it makes it fun to watch.

The film has heart, humour, and is nicely unmelodramatic. One of the better films I have seen recently, a pleasure to watch and simply enjoy.

This may be the best chess movie i have watched, and i watch any I can find.

--The original title to this movie is Joueuse, the feminine form of "player", which say a lot about the movie

--I think Joueuse and 'Queen to play' says it all, it has wheels within wheels regarding a woman's traditional role VS wanting more out of life without losing those things you originally love

--The makers of this movie also manage to incorporate the primary attributes a great chess player has in their character, and they do this in such a way that blends them seamlessly into the movie.

I know there are some chess movies that are 'based on true events', but if a viewer does the research, they will find that the actual facts are so far removed from the actual story, that it may as well be fiction

I found this movie to have multiple layers to it - like real life

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.

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.

An inspiring chess movie because the democratic essence of the game prevails even when overcoming such obstacles as gender and class bias. But too, the story is as much about battles of all kinds as it is about chess.

We find in this film that a cleaning women's life changes because she says, "I exist, too. I have an interest. I will work at it because it matters to me." She learns, as we all do, that if you take a risk you may lose, but if you do not take risks you will lose.

Beautiful and subtle, yet appropriate, soundtrack and cinematography. Dialogue simple yet profound. Acting - spot on.

Again, foreign studios seem to be outclassing LA and NY - not even close. Well, OK, we have bigger CGI effects' computers and budgets.