Year: 2009
Country:
FRANCE, GERMANY
Language:
French, English
Run Time:
101 minutes
High atop the rugged mountains of Corsica, Hélène pedals her bike to work. She's a chambermaid at a luxury hotel, living a humdrum working-class life. Hélène came to Corsica years ago for her husband, who works in the boatyards. Serious and conscientious about her work, she has no particular desire to change things. Then one day she glimpses a romantic couple playing an impassioned game of chess on the balcony of a room she's cleaning. Seized with a vague longing, Hélène purchases an electronic chess game for her husband, hoping the game might help them rekindle an old flame. When he understandably wonders what's gotten into her, she begins teaching herself chess at night. Hélène stubbornly persuades the gruff, reclusive American Doctor Kröger, for whom she serves as a house cleaner, to mentor her. As she becomes fixated on the game, she begins to neglect her work and family. Once Hélène realizes that the Queen is the strongest piece - she can go anywhere and do anything she likes - she sees that chess might offer a way out of her mundane existence. QUEEN TO PLAY features sensitive performances by Sandrine Bonnaire as Hélène and Kevin Kline as Doctor Kröger. (In French with subtitles) – B.B.
Screenplay
Caroline Bottaro
Director
Caroline Bottaro
Filmography
QUEEN TO PLAY (2009)
Producer
Dominique Besnehard, Michel Feller
Cinematography
Jean-Claude Larrieu
Editing
Tina Baz
Principal Cast
Sandrine Bonnaire, Kevin Kline, Valérie Lagrange, Francis Renaud, Alexandra Gentil, Jennifer Beals
Liberation Entertainment
http://www.libent.com
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