"Jouesse" (Queen to Play)

Superb, subtle, sophisticated! One of my all time favorites, Kevin Kline in a marvelous performance (and speaking French perfectly, according to my untutored ear) is paired with the remarkable Sandrine Bonnaire. She plays a woman married to a blue collar worker. "Ange," a role expertly rendered by Francis Renaud. She, as "Helene" works as a chambermaid where she sees a couple romantically playing a game of chess, with hands caressing between moves, and exchanging loving looks. She is fascinated with the chess pieces and the appearance of the board. She buys her husband an electronic set as a birthday gift. He is not thrilled. She, however, gets up several hours early every day, before she goes to work, and starts to learn the game. She discovers that one of the people for whom she cleans, "Kroger" (enter Kevin Kline, an American ex-pat) has a chess set, and as events unfold, she gets him to teach her the game. Takes place in beautiful Corsica, exquisitely filmed and accompanied with perfectly appropriate beautiful music that enhances every scene. (Subtitles are great.) Francis Renaud and Kevin Kline are a joy and a wonder to behold as every thought, every emotion is revealed. Directed by Caroline Bottaro, this is a totally satisfying film! FOUR STARS