Queen to Play

2009

1 hr. 37 min.

Drama

List

70%

40 Reviews

Tomatometer

72%

1,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Hélène (Sandrine Bonnaire), a housekeeper at a ritzy hotel in Corsica, is devoted to her family but lacks any passion in her own life. When she sees a handsome couple play a passionate game of chess, she becomes inspired to play herself. Hélène's working-class husband (Francis Renaud) and spoiled daughter (Valerie Lagrange) are soon bewildered by her obsession with chess. They also grow suspicious of Hélène's close relationship with Dr. Kröger (Kevin Kline), her eccentric American expat tutor.

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Audience Member

Kevin Kline's French is surprisingly good, and it was unusual to see him in a dramatic role. Sandrine Bonnaire is wonderfully understated as a 40something woman looking for something more in life, she has a real intensity of mien.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/03/23

Full Review

John H

A pleasant surprise. Predictable? Absolutely, as far as the plotline goes. No matter. In touch with a sort of reality throughout. Absorbing. Woman . . . two menâ¦mainly. Caught up in the midst of their separating lives. I do not speak French and no English soundtrack is available. But the sub-titles were almost unnecessary since the scene development was so carefully constructed so that you easily imagined the conversational flow. The sub-titles are little more than background as you move through each scene. This almost never failed. Magic, in a way. Not a thriller. And not about chess really. The board game is only the grout that binds three lives as they diverge . . . opening and closing life doors. Then, on my next visit to this movie: Watching Queen to Play glide along is like standing beside a beautiful, plush carpet as it slowly unrolls. There are no wrinkles. Only more of the same as the clock ticks on. A lot of serious life unfolds in different rooms but no one gets out of control. Feelings are hurt several times over but then the wounds heal. The characters roll with the punches. Much like real life. Best of all, the perfectly predictable ending has you leaning back comfortably in your seat, thinking, 'I know where this is headed and I don't really need to see the details. It's been an uphill struggle getting to this point and worth every moment. I can almost read what is going on in each character's mind. The Paris tournament will surely be exciting."

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/28/21

Full Review

Audience Member

An excellent film on many levels. Better to get the DVD so you can see "The making of . . . " which enriches the understanding of the film and adds some interesting facts about kids playing chess. I don't ever watch movies twice before returning, but this may prove to be the exception.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/16/23

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Audience Member

she did not say much in that movie!!

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

01/31/23

Full Review

thomas a

A delightful film about a hotel maid in Corsica who stumbles upon guests playing chess, falls in love with the scene, and later on deepens her friendship with one of her employers who happens to be a quite decent player of chess. Later on she discovers that she has quite a talent for playing it, though this newfound passion of hers comes at a cost to her actual obligation to her family. In American eyes, the film can be seen as quite monotonous and boring, but overall I find it a pleasant, relaxing French summer film to be enjoyed on a lazy weekend.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

excelente! una historia movilizante, muy sutil y simple. Muy recomendada

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/29/23

Full Review

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Caroline Bottaro

Director

Sandrine Bonnaire

Hélène

Kevin Kline

Kröger

Valerie Lagrange

Maria

Francis Renaud

Ange

Alexandra Gentil

Lisa

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Critics Consensus: Source Code Is Certified Fresh

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Ronnie Scheib

Variety

[A] clever feel-good lark.

Jul 26, 2011

Full Review

J. R. Jones

Chicago Reader

Subplots involving the heroine's resentful husband and rebellious teenage daughter never amount to much, though the story builds toward a satisfactory, if formulaic, climax.

Jul 8, 2011

Full Review

Marjorie Baumgarten

Austin Chronicle

Queen To Play, however, competes on a very high level as a story of an inner journey that's not simply black-and-white.

Rated: 3/5

Jul 8, 2011

Full Review

Rene Jordan

El Nuevo Herald (Miami)

Triumph in class about a woman who dares to give the present a check mate. [Full review in Spanish]

Aug 9, 2022

Full Review

Mattie Lucas

From the Front Row

A lovely and beguiling platonic romance, a smart and thoroughly engaging drama that makes chess look thrilling, and intellectual pursuits look sexy.

Rated: 3/4

Aug 5, 2019

Full Review

Kelly Jane Torrance

Washington Examiner

This one is utterly predictable. Worse than that, it's boring.

Rated: 1.5/5

Jan 8, 2019

Full Review

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Synopsis

Hélène (Sandrine Bonnaire), a housekeeper at a ritzy hotel in Corsica, is devoted to her family but lacks any passion in her own life. When she sees a handsome couple play a passionate game of chess, she becomes inspired to play herself. Hélène's working-class husband (Francis Renaud) and spoiled daughter (Valerie Lagrange) are soon bewildered by her obsession with chess. They also grow suspicious of Hélène's close relationship with Dr. Kröger (Kevin Kline), her eccentric American expat tutor.

Director: Caroline Bottaro
Executive Producer: Jean-Philippe Laroche
Screenwriter: Caroline Bottaro
Production Co: France 2 (FR2), Centre National de la Cinematographie, StudioCanal, CinéCinéma, Eurimages, Filmförderungsanstalt, Blueprint Film, Corsica Pôle Tournages, Collectivité Territoriale de la Corse, Tele München Fernseh Produktionsgesellschaft, Mon Voisin Productions, France 2 Cinema, Canal+ Horizons, Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication, Canal+
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 22, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $478.6K

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