Queen to Play is a quirky French drama that reminds me of The Hedgehog in many ways. Both films have strong female leads whose brilliance is overlooked based on their menial jobs. Both are taken under the tutelage of men who help them discover themselves. Both films are French, although Queen to Play is not quite as unforgiving in its character portrayals.
Helene (Sandrine Bonnaire) works as a maid on a French resort island. She came to the island years ago for the love of her life, Ange (Francis Renaud). The family struggles to make ends meet, which is complicated by a daughter who seems embarrassed by their financial situation. Ange repairs boats in dry dock while Helene works at an upscale hotel. She supplements her hotel wages by working part time cleaning the house of a wealthy doctor, Kroger (Kevin Kline).
Helene's life is missing something. She clearly loves her husband and daughter, but she has an empty void that is suddenly filled when she discovers chess. The game becomes a dangerous preoccupation that keeps her up late at night and has her seeing chess moves in bread crumbs and tiled floors. She decides to pursue her knowledge of the game by asking Kroger for help. As their friendship grows, the small community begins spreading rumors. The pressure is enough for Helene to finally give up her passion. At least until her supportive family nudges her gently forward.
Queen to Play is a rather mundane story. It is about an unlikely person excelling at a particular skill and achieving a dream. The formulaic plot has been done a million times. It has been done in a variety of venues. There is really nothing new when it comes to the concept. However, the story has brilliant dialogue, superb acting and characters that are engaging enough to surpass the strength of just a storyline. It is an average story that somehow still managed to engage me and hold my interest. It was sluggish at times, but overall, I enjoyed it.
I really liked Bonnaire. She has a quiet classiness that lent her character credibility. Her chemistry with Renaud seemed genuine enough that I never really questioned her relationship with Kline. I am a fan of Kline's work and enjoyed his steady performance. Very simple, direct and confident. I am less familiar with Renaud but found I enjoyed his performance as well. Nothing was overstated in the acting, which gave the film a natural feel.
Queen to Play took an overdone plot concept and made it enjoyable. While it was fairly predictable, I found the characters to be credible and engaging. The dialogue was crisp. The performances were precise. Without this combination of talent and character development, I probably would have turned this one off. However, it kept my attention in spite of a few pacing issues. Overall, a worthwhile film to watch on a rainy day. 6.5/10.
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