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Dangerous Moves

Play trailer Poster for Dangerous Moves Released May 24, 1985 1h 40m Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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67% Tomatometer 6 Reviews 70% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
Aging Soviet chess champion Akiva Liebskind (Michel Piccoli) arrives in Geneva to face off against his former student Pavius Fromm (Alexandre Arbatt) in a World Championship match. Pavius is a defector from the USSR, and the Soviet authorities threaten to harm Akiva's family if he does not defeat the rogue player. Determined to shame Pavius, the government brings the wife (Liv Ullmann) he left behind to the game, attempting to unnerve him as the stress of the match takes its toll on both men.
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Dangerous Moves

Critics Reviews

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Geoff Brown Times (UK) A competent though tepid character drama. Apr 14, 2020 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com This well executed thriller about a chess game between a Soviet citizen and a Soviet exile won the 1984 foreign lingo Oscar Rated: B+ Jan 2, 2011 Full Review Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat Spirituality & Practice An engrossing Swiss film that offers a behind-the-scenes look at the cerebral sport of chess. Rated: 4/5 Aug 22, 2004 Full Review Jamie Gillies Apollo Guide This movie has dated considerably and can best be called a cold war relic. Still, I did find it intriguing and an interesting premise. Rated: 73/100 Mar 2, 2004 Full Review John A. Nesbit ToxicUniverse.com a relatively charming endgame doesn't save Dangerous Moves from its ordinary opening and unimaginative middle game performances. Rated: 2.5/5 Jun 22, 2003 Full Review Christopher Null Filmcritic.com a metaphor for not just east vs. west, but life vs. life. Rated: 4/5 Jun 19, 2003 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member The greatest 01 hour: and 40 minutes ever!!!!!!!!! In French with English subtitles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/11/23 Full Review Audience Member Obviously inspired by Fischer vs. Spassky, this is a well-acted, well-directed, and quite absorbing movie Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/31/23 Full Review Audience Member A Soviet exile and a Soviet citizen are pitted in a high-pressure chess match. While some of the events, like the witch doctor in the audience, are funny and interesting, as a whole, this film is about as exciting and entertaining as you'd think a film about chess would be. What the film fails to do is get into the heads of these players to the point that their machinations raise to the level of compelling drama. Overall, I balk at calling a film boring, but honesty compels me to say that Dangerous Moves is kinda boring. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/26/23 Full Review Audience Member The premise is simple - Two chess players, one Grand Champion and one former protégé battle over the course of several days for the title of World Champion. Conceptually, the film is set up as a thriller and it's ambitious. Although it delivers on intrigue, it sacrifices on adequate character development. Characters are more representative of ideas than they are actual believable people. Background information is given only in pieces, so it's a difficult film to sink one's teeth into. That said, as a viewer, you definitely find yourself wanting to know who wins. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/03/23 Full Review Audience Member Taut, well acted Cold War type political thriller in which the battlefield is the world championship chess match between a Soviet and a Soviet defector. Won the Best Foreign Language Oscar. Excellent movie. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/13/23 Full Review Audience Member High stakes, conspiracy theories, surprise strategies, and mind games all converge at the 1983 World Chess Championship between the veteran Soviet and his young dissident opponent. This chess film is much better than most sports films. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/13/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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Dangerous Moves

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Movie Info

Synopsis Aging Soviet chess champion Akiva Liebskind (Michel Piccoli) arrives in Geneva to face off against his former student Pavius Fromm (Alexandre Arbatt) in a World Championship match. Pavius is a defector from the USSR, and the Soviet authorities threaten to harm Akiva's family if he does not defeat the rogue player. Determined to shame Pavius, the government brings the wife (Liv Ullmann) he left behind to the game, attempting to unnerve him as the stress of the match takes its toll on both men.
Director
Richard Dembo
Producer
Arthur Cohn, Martine Marignac
Screenwriter
Richard Dembo
Distributor
International Spectrafilm
Production Co
La Cécilia, Ministère de la Culture, Michael Arthur Films
Genre
Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
French (France)
Release Date (Theaters)
May 24, 1985, Original
Release Date (DVD)
Aug 9, 2005
Runtime
1h 40m
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