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Queen To Play review
:. Director: Caroline Bottaro
:. Starring: Sandrine Bonnaire, Kevin Kline
:. Running Time: 1:37
:. Year: 2009
:. Country: France
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Using chess as the central thread of this story, Queen to Play isn't however a film about the game itself but rather the portrait of a woman's mid-life crisis, with light doses of social commentary in the background.
Somewhat prisoner of a life that doesn't bear much excitement Hélène (Sandrine Bonnaire — A Nos Amours, Intimate Strangers) seems to be advancing through life like a sleepwalker, stuck between her boring job as a housemaid in a Corsican hotel and her family — a distant husband and bratty teenage girl — until she discovers the game of chess, which will provide her with a much-needed escape from her daily routine.
This adaptation of Bertina Heinrichs' novel, The Chess Player, by writer/director Caroline Bottaro could easily be described as a tale of self-empowerment for women, where men are relegated to spectators to Hélène's rise. We follow her transformation, from discreet housemaid and wife to local chess star, one of her mysterious employers, the Dr. Kröger — Kevin Kline playing against type — acting as the catalyst of her mutation.
Using Chess as a metaphor for this empowerment, the film isn't however very subtle as to delivering symbols to the spectator, the dialogues between the characters underlining the messages the film carries. At the center of Queen to Play is obviously the role of woman in society. As we hear Hélène's coworker telling her that happiness should after all be a quiet life with a husband and kids, we know that, obviously, this isn't what Hélène or the filmmakers believe. Men such as her husband, the Dr. Kröger or even her daughter's boyfriend are portrayed as unconscious barriers to women's ambitions — the Dr.Kröger even explains how he should have supported his wife's artistic aspirations (which is why he is now looking for redemption by helping Hélène).
What, however, the filmmakers make clear is that Hélène's need for escapism isn't about sex or money. While talking to the Dr., with whom she has a platonic relationship, she tells him that her husband is handsome, a way to let us know that her needs are not physical. As for money, it doesn't seem to be the issue either. When her and her husband have financial worries, they just say they will deal with it, without looking too concerned, contrasting with their daughter's continuous complaints that they are poor — the social sub-theme of the story is somewhat reminiscent of Robert Guedigian's blue collar Mediterranean universe (Marius & Jeannette, The Army of Crime).
Of course, if this journey isn't about sex and money, it means that what Hélène is going through is an intellectual mid-life crisis, chess being one of the most obvious symbol of brain power. While we certainly cannot do anything else than agreeing with the message this film carries, it isn't as groundbreaking as it could have been 50 years ago; this story would undoubtedly have been revolutionary in the Mad Men era but, now, with so many women holding important positions in our society, its impact has been somewhat diminished. The fact that the story is set in Corsica makes it a little more relevant, as women are still considered as housewives in certain Mediterranean regions but, in that case, the filmmakers should have given more exposition to the Corsican setting — we just see furtively the sharp coast line and village streets while there would have been so much to say about Corsica — whether it's its breathtaking scenery or its inhabitants' mentality.
Queen to Play embraces lots of the flaws inherent to feel-good cinema but by choosing restraint, it makes it quite a pleasant experience though: You can't help yourself rooting for Hélène and the fine cast brings a convincing emotional appeal to the ensemble. Queen to Play respects the discretion of its central character onscreen, which is what saves it where Hollywood would have gone for a pompous story of triumph against the odds.
Fred Thom
 Reviews of French Movies: 2012 - present
French Films: 1998 - 2011 Reviews
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