I liked the movie, although it wasn't perfect. The acting is decent, although some of the interactions between people seem forced. I would bet the book was better than the film, but I haven't read it. The story is about a cleaning lady who somehow discovers she likes chess and she convinces one of her clients to teach her to play. The entire chess angle is about female emancipation and not about the game itself, though.

What I liked most about the film is that at first people are resistant to the idea, assuming that no one can do anything to get out from their predestined little box, but then they snap out of it and are supportive to the lead character. There is no villain, perhaps except the guy she beats during her first tournament, but his role is minor. The entire film is about a woman discovering herself and what she can do. An important scene is when she reads Martin Eden and interprets the end as the natural thing to do. Of course, she rejects that idea later on.

A surprising thing is that the film stars three American actors. Kevin Kline speaks perfect French with an American accent and Jennifer Beals is there for just a few scenes to inspire Sandrine Bonnaire's character to play the game. I don't know what the angle was, but surely they didn't do it for the money, which is always soul cleansing for actors.

Bottom line: if you liked Queen's Gambit, you might like this one, too. It's a very similar story of emancipation through tallent, effort and the support of others. But if you want to watch it for the chess, there is very little of it.

Helene, a married woman in Corsica, works as a maid in a local hotel to help her husband, a dock worker, make ends meet. One day, as she goes to clean up a room, she is surprised to find the couple staying in it out in the balcony engaged in a game of chess. It intrigues her the way the young woman beats her man, in what appears to be skillful playing.

Helene also cleans the house of a lonely American widower, Kroger, living in seclusion in a big mansion. She discovers her employer owns a set of chess. Kroger, entering the room she is cleaning, sees her observing the pieces of the game, and politely asks her to put it back where she found the box. Helene decides this is a game she must learn. It will be her way to escape her dreary life.

As her husband's birthday nears, she buys him an electronic chess set, something that baffles him. Little does he realize the game is not for him, but for her. Helene gets bold when she asks Kroger to teach her to play chess in exchange for her cleaning the house for nothing. He agrees, and thus begins a strange relationship between these odd couple that apparently has nothing in common.

The game begins to take hold of Helene in ways she never suspected. Her work at the hotel suffers because all she thinks is about moves and timing as she prepares herself mentally for the meetings with Kroger. Helene becomes so good she beats Kroger almost continuously, something that pleases him. They even share a game where each one go through movements in their minds without a board. They discover an intimacy that will not go beyond the afternoon sessions. In the process, Helene gains respect to make it in the local tournament and the possibility of making something else of her life.

This is a delicious film that will delight chess players and even people that have no idea about the game. "Joueuse" is the first film by Caroline Bottaro, which she adapted from a Bertina Henrichs novel. The game, in a way, is a metaphor, one in which Helene gets empowerment through her knowledge of a game that is dominated by males. It is also a sort of liberation for the Corsican housewife without any possible future other than being a maid because she has no other skills. Her determination to succeed is bigger than all the obstacles that come her way.

An inspired Sandrine Bonnaire, one of France's leading actresses, is a joy to watch in the film. Ms. Bonnaire is usually seen in more dramatic fare, but she makes a delightful contribution to the success of this movie. Kevin Kline surprises as Kroger, the enigmatic man suffering an unknown lung disease which never comes clear. The relationship between Helene and Kroger is never sexual, although there is an electric current between them all the time.

Strongly recommended for fans of chess and for the strong combination of Sandrine Bonnaire and Kevin Kline under the direction of talented Caroline Bottaro, a new talent in the French cinema.

Kevin Kline speaking French and playing chess: what's not to love? Since I spent my entire childhood believing Kevin was a French actor (from having seen French Kiss a hundred times) I was glad to rent Queen to Play and to hear him speak the language again.

Sandrine Bonnaire stars as a housecleaner who meets one of her employers, an American doctor, and starts up a platonic relationship with him. Sandrine is a wife and mother, but after a few weeks with Kevin Kline, she discovers something is missing in her life-and that something is chess. Kevin loves the game, and after he teaches her, she finds she loves it just as much. So, once a week, they chat and play chess. This isn't the most exciting movie in the world, but it's fun and shows how little gestures can mean a lot to people when they're stuck in a rut. Plus, you get to hear Kevin Kline speaking French!