Plot: What’s it about?
Alexandre Luzhin (John Turturro) is a chess master and has a lot of admirers, but he is simply unable to connect with any of them. His childhood was a traumatic one and as a result, it can be hard to relate to others, to say the least. But he loves to play chess and it is really his only outlet, where he can express himself and be close to others. This is no simple chess player however, as Luzhin is a brilliant man and master of the game, perhaps one of the strongest players in his entire country, if not the world. He is given a chance to prove his skills in Italy’s most respected chess tournament and of course, he plans to attend and defeat the others. But he does count on meeting someone special and falling in love, although that happens as well. This woman who breaks down his wall is Natalia (Emily Watson), a beautiful young woman from the upper class, who is already promised to another man. But she is able to offer Luzhin a look outside his own small world, even if that look could have tragic consequences for both people involved…
I know it might seem strange to have a romantic theme inside of a movie about chess, but The Luzhin Defence pulls it off and rather well. One of the main reasons it works so well is the gifted cast, which is led by John Turturro and Emily Watson, both of whom hand in excellent performances. As strong as these two were however, the film remains very good and worthwhile, but I simply don’t see myself revisiting it often. I suppose the slow, basic overall tone is responsible, but while The Luzhin Defence was a solid picture, it just doesn’t have good replay value. I do think I will watch it again at some point, if just to see Watson’s effort again, but I don’t think I’ll need to own this movie, even with the nice package Columbia has put together here. But I do think anyone interested should give this flick a spin, as it has some great performances, nice visuals, and in the end, is a good movie. Columbia has tacked on some very welcome extras and as such, I can recommend this without hesitation, though the nature of the film leads me to choose a rental, at least in most cases.
Although she is not the primary lead, Emily Watson steals this film at times, as she has done countless times in her career. I find Watson to be one of the most talented workers in the movies these days, as she is powerful and consistent, no matter how small the role might be. In this case, she has a sizable role to work with and she takes full advantage, handing in a superb overall performance. The character is quite understated, but Watson gives her a lot of life and presence, but never at the expense of the character’s nature. I don’t think this is her finest work ever, but it is a terrific effort and Watson deserves a lot of praise for her turn here. You can also see Watson in such films as Angela’s Ashes, Metroland, Breaking the Waves, The Boxer, and Cradle Will Rock. The cast also includes John Turturro (O Brother Where Art Thou?, The Big Lebowski), Geraldine Jones (Gandhi, Moll Flanders), and Stuart Wilson (Lethal Weapon 3, No Escape).
Video: How does it look?
The Luzhin Defence is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. This is a very solid visual effort, with minimal flaws to discuss and a nice overall image presentation. I did see some grain at times and the image sometimes looks soft, but this could be a style choice, as it looks natural in most scenes. The image is stable however and never falters much, down to the clean source print that provides the foundation for the transfer. The colors look bright and contrast is well handled, but the soft image sometimes lessens those elements, though never too much. In the end, this is a solid visual presentation, although I do think it could have been better in places.
Audio: How does it sound?
As you should be able to tell by now, this is a subdued film in terms of audio, so the included Dolby Digital 5.1 option is not explosive, but it more than covers the basics. I heard little surround presence outside of the musical score, but that seems to work with this material, which is more dialogue based, as opposed to sound effects driven. The subtle touches kick in at times to enhance the experience, while dialogue is clean, crisp, and always at a proper volume balance. This disc also includes a 2.0 surround track, as well as English, Spanish, and French subtitles.
Supplements: What are the extras?
The main bonus here is an audio commentary with director Marleen Gorris, who offers a talkative, informative session. She touches on a vast selection of topics, from why she took on the project to her thoughts on the material to the cast to the visual choices, plus a number of other issues, all well covered. Gorris is never silent and seems to even pick up steam as the session rolls on, which is a welcome change from most tracks. This disc also includes a brief behind the scenes featurette, some talent files, and the film’s theatrical trailer.
