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Queen to Play

2009 1h 37m Drama List
70% Tomatometer 40 Reviews 72% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
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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Queen to Play

Critics Reviews

View All (40) Critics Reviews
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 Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (73) audience reviews
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 Full Review 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 Read all reviews
Queen to Play

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Movie Info

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
Producer
Dominique Besnehard, Michel Feller
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
Runtime
1h 37m
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