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Love
& Obsession
Chess
genius meets his match.
By Lois
Wadsworth
THE LUZHIN DEFENCE: Directed
by Marleen Gorris. Written by Peter Berry, based on the novel by Vladimir
Nabokov. Produced by Caroline Wood, Stephen Evans, Louis Becker and
Philppe Guez. Cinematography, Bernard Lutic. Editor, Michaël
Reichwein. Production design, Tony Burrough. Costumes, Jany Temime.
Original music, Alexandre Desplat. Starring John Turturro and Emily
Watson, with Geraldine James, Stuart Wilson, Christopher Thompson,
Fabio Sartor and Peter Blythe. Sony Pictures Classics, 2001. PG-13.
106 minutes.
 |
|
Natalia
(Emily Watson) gives Luzhin (Hohn Turturro) one of the few relics
from his past.
. |
|
Natalia (Emily Watson), an independent-minded
Russian emigré, and Alexander Luzhin (John Turturro), an eccentric
chess Grand Master, meet at a resort on Lake Como, Italy, the site of
the 1929 World Chess Championship games. Natalia and her parents, Vera
(Geraldine James) and Ilya (Peter Blythe), are staying at the hotel
where Luzhin also stays. Vera persuades Ilya that Jean de Stassard (Christopher
Thompson) is the perfect match for their quietly confidant daughter,
but Natalia is fascinated by the reclusive Luzhin. And for the first
time, Luzhin comes out of his preoccupation with chess to notice a woman.
Vladimir Nabokov's stories and novels are built around
quirky, well-crafted characters, and The Luzhin Defence is
no exception. A unique love story fashioned around Nabokov's memorable
characters, this period drama derives its interest not just from the
lovers and family resistance to their alliance but also from the historic
moment itself.
Like the Olympics, world chess championships are major
events that tap into nationalistic concerns. Luzhin's nemesis and
former manager, Valentinov (Stuart Wilson), appears determined to
undermine Luzhin and aid his adversary for the championship, Turati
(Fabio Sartor). With Valentinov comes personal and political menace
that clouds the sunny Italian paradise.
Luzhin is a man of delicate balance. His brilliance
at the game derives in part from his prodigious concentration, which
is threatened both by his love for Natalia and by his fear of Valentinov.
Luzhin's history with the unscrupulous Valentinov is revealed through
flashbacks, as are relationships with his own family. His fragile
mental stability is in danger of snapping.
Director Marleen Gorris (Mrs. Dalloway, Antonia's
Line) is adept at hiring particular actors to work with who psychologically
inhabit and physically embody a character. As Luzhin's intensity and
disorientation grows, Turturro's heartbreakingly real work here reminds
me of the stressed-out writer he played in the Coen Brothers' unforgettable
Barton Fink (1991). Watson's Natalia is as imperturbable as
Luzhin is distracted and fractured, and her calm demeanor protects
a forceful, ethical center that's impervious to polite society's demands.
Their love story may seem improbable, but they make you believe in
its cockeyed logic.
It's curious that watching the film, one becomes convinced
that Natalia and her family are not former Russian landowners turned
out by the Bolsheviks but lightly British-ized, upper-crust, non-specific
Europeans. Sliding over their Russian heritage does them no service,
because it makes Luzhin and Natalia's relationship less understandable
and her parents' resistance less classist.
If you play chess, the intricacies of the game --
played with larger-than-life sized pieces on the village green in
honor of the championship trials going on inside the formal buildings
-- hold no mystery for you. Undoubtedly, you will appreciate
nuances that did not register on my radar. And the famous "Luzhin
Defence" -- found and then lost by Luzhin himself -- will
make you marvel. The remainder of us must take it on faith.
The Luzhin Defence opens Friday at the Bijou.
OPENING
OR RETURNING:
Films open the Friday following date of EW
publication unless otherwise noted.
Baby Boy: John Singleton (Boyz N the Hood
) goes back to the same inner-city L.A. neighborhood for this drama
about a misguided 20-year-old (Tyrese Gibson) resistant to the commitments
of real life. With Omar Gooding and Ving Rhames. Opens Wed. 6/27.
Cinemark. Call for show times.
Chocolat: Lasse Hallström's 2000 film
stars Juliette Binoche (best actress nom), Johnny Depp and Judi Dench
(supporting actress nom). A sexy, free spirited woman causes a scandal
in a small church-going town when she opens a chocolate shop. PG-13.
Movies 12. See
review.
Crocodile Dundee in L.A.: Simon Wencer directs
the return of the old Aussie fave played by Paul Hogan, with Linda
Kozlowski as the love interest. PG. Movies 12.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Ang Lee's cinematic
masterpiece and Academy Award-winning foreign film 2000, this romantic
fantasy set in ancient China involves intrigue, poison darts, a pirate
of the dunes, a witch, a magic sword, fabulous women fighters and
beautiful, ballet-like martial arts that transcend gravity. Stars
Michelle Yeoh, Chow Yun Fat, Zhang Ziyi and Chang Chen. Superlative!
PG-13. Movies 12. See
review.
Dr. Dolittle 2: Eddie Murphy is back as the
good doctor, but the animals have changed. They've become activists
who plan to go on strike to save their forest in Steve Carr's new
film. And they're hungry for sex advice. PG. Cinema World. Cinemark.
Driven: Sylvester Stallone in a racetrack action
picture directed by Renny Harlin. PG-13. Movies 12.
Fast and Furious, The: Undercover cop (Paul
Walker) infiltrates gang-like LA street racing teams in Rob Cohen's
action-adventure. PG-13. Cinemark. Cinema World.
Luzhin Defence, The: Marleen Gorris directs
this romantic and tragic chess drama set in Italy's 1929 world championships.
John Turturro plays Alexander Luzhin, an eccentric, reclusive Russian
chess Grand Master. Emily Watson is a wealthy, independent Russian
emigré, the first woman he's ever loved. PG-13. Bijou. See
review.
CONTINUING
Animal: Wimp Marvin (Rob Schneider)
becomes a super cop after surgery following an accident leaves him
with animal organs. Now, his instincts are taking over, and it isn't
a nice picture. Luke Greenfield makes his directorial debut; also
stars Coleen Haskell. PG-13. Cinemark.
Atlantis: The Lost Empire: Disney animated
tale directed by Beauty and Beast team, Kirk Wise and Gary
Trousdale. A museum cartographer named Milo finds a map to Atlantis
and heads an expedition to the lost land. Voices include Michael J.
Fox, James Garner and Leonard Nimoy. PG. Cinema World. Cinemark.
Blow: Ted Demme directs Johnny Depp as George
Jung, now in prison, but in the 1970s the first American to import
cocaine from Carlos Escobar's Colombian cartel to the U.S. Based on
book by Bruce Porter, movie also stars Penelope Cruz, Ray Liotta,
Rachel Griffiths and Paul Reubens. R. Movies 12.
Bridget Jones' Diary: Renée Zellwegger
plays the neurotic but witty Londoner on the prowl for a man. Hugh
Grant's her boss, and Colin Firth is an old friend. All three give
excellent performances, especially Zellwegger. Sharon Maguire's directorial
debut. Script by Helen Fielding, Andrew Davies and Richard Curtis.
Funnier on second viewing, this smart, good-hearted romp is highly
recommended. R. Cinema World. See
review.
Cast Away: Tom Hanks learns to survive when
his plane crashes and he washes up on a remote tropical island. Helen
Hunt is the girlfriend he left behind. Intimate direction by Robert
Zemeckis, a lean script by William Broyles Jr., and an edgy performance
by Hanks. Highly recommended. PG-13. Movies 12. See review.
Dish, The: Australian technicians manning the
Southern Hemisphere's largest radio telescope save the day on June
20, 1969, when Neil Armstrong walks on the moon. Stars Sam Neill,
Kevin Harrington, Tom Long and Patrick Warburton. Highly rated docudrama
is highly recommended. PG-13. Bijou. See review.
Enemy at the Gates: During the siege of Stalingrad
during WWII, a Soviet sniper (Jude Law) is pursued by a Nazi assassin
(Ed Harris). Also stars Joe Fiennes, Bob Hoskins and Rachel Weisz.
Flawed, but well worth seeing for Harris' performance. R. Movies 12.
Evolution: David Duchovny and Julianne Moore
star in an Ivan Reitman summer comedy about pterodactyls and meteors.
PG-13. Cinema World.
Freddy Got Fingered: Tom Green directs and
stars in this comedy, with Rip Torn and Julia Hagerty. R. Movies 12.
Joe Dirt, The Adventures of: Comedy directed
by Dennie Gordon stars David Spader as a dunce who's on a quest to
find the parents who dumped him at the Grand Canyon when he was 8
years old. PG-13. Cinemark.
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider: Angelina Jolie plays
the video game action heroine, and Simon West directs. Also stars
Jon Voight and Iain Glen. PG-13. Cinemark. Cinema World.
Memento: Written, directed by Christopher Nolan,
based on his brother Jonathan's story. Stars Guy Pearce as a man whose
memory loss following a crime in which his wife was raped and killed
propels him toward vengeance. With Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano.
Question the film's skewed reality at every opportunity. R. Bijou.
See review.
Mexican, The: Comic road movie stars Brad Pitt,
Julia Roberts and James Gandolfini in a mobbed-up escapade south of
the border. Has its moment, but murder isn't really all that funny.
R. Movies 12. See review.
Moulin Rouge: Director Baz Luhrmann (Strictly
Ballroom, Romeo and Juliet) sets this fabulous dramatic
musical extravaganza in the summer of love, Paris, 1899. Nicole Kidman
and Ewan McGregor make a great romantic pair, and John Leguizamo,
Jim Broadbent and Richard Roxburgh are excellent players. Everybody
wants to work at the all-singing, all-dancing Moulin Rouge shows.
Very highly recommended. PG-13. Cinema World. Cinemark. See
review.
Mummy Returns, The: Starring Brendan Fraser
and Rachel Weisz star in this thriller directed by Stephen Sommers.
PG-13. Cinemark.
One Night at McCool's: Crime/sex comedy stars
Matt Dillon, Paul Reiser, John Goodman and Liv Tyler playing one-note
characters. She's trouble. Directed by Harald Zwart. R. Movies 12.
Pearl Harbor: Director Michael Bay and producer
Jerry Bruckheimer's $135 million WWII epic stars Ben Affleck, Josh
Hartnett and Kate Beckinsale, with Cuba Gooding Jr., Jon Voight, Dan
Aykroyd and Alec Baldwin. Spectacle, yes. Romance, no. Tediously unoriginal,
overstuffed turkey. Cinemark 17. See
review.
Recess: School's Out: Animated Disney film's
about a plot to create permanent winter, thus doing away with summer
vacation! G. Movies 12.
Save the Last Dance for Me: Talented white
girl from small town (Julia Stiles) enrolls in an inner city high
school in New York where she falls for a popularAfrican American boy
(Sean Patrick Thomas) who also loves to dance. PG-13. Movies 12.
Shrek: Computer-animated fairy tale (by DreamWorks'
Pacific Data Images, makers of Antz) stars Mike Myers, Eddie
Murphy, Cameron Diaz and John Lithgow. Entertaining and funny for
kids and grown-ups. PG. Cinema World. Cinemark. See
review.
Swordfish: John Travolta plays a C.I.A. spook
who persuades a sexy colleague (Halle Berry) and a hacker (Hugh Jackman)
to help him steal $9 billion. AP reviewer says after the first 10
minutes, this fish begins to smell. Directed by Dominic Sena (Gone
in 60 Seconds). R. Cinemark.
MOVIE
THEATERS
Use the links provided below for specific show times.
Bijou
Art Cinemas
Bijou Theater 686-2458 | 492 E. 13th
Regal
Cinemas
Cinema World 342-6536 | Valley River
Center
Springfield Quad 726-9073 |
Cinemark
Theaters
Movies 12 741-1231 | Gateway
Mall
Movies before 12:30 are Sat. Sun. only. $1.50 all shows all days.
Cinemark 17 741-1231 | Gateway Mall
NEW
RELEASES ON VIDEO:
Releases subject to change. Available the Tuesday following
date of EW publication, sometimes sooner:
Claim, The: British director Michael Winterbottom's
latest film never played Eugene but received wonderful reviews elsewhere.
The New York Times reviewer called it a "languorously muted,
occasionally magnificent film" set in the American West, "closer in
spirit to Robert Altman's bleakly romantic McCabe and Mrs. Miller
than to any traditional western." Stars Peter Mullan as the self-styled
mayor of Kingdom Come, whose rise to power involves a "dirty little
secret that comes back to haunt him." Also stars Wes Bentley (American
Beauty), Milla Jovovich, Natassja Kinski, Sarah Polley. R.
Deep Core: Oil rig disaster on mid-ocean ridge
sets off chain of volcano eruptions, tsunamis and worse. Directed
by Rodney McDonald, it stars Craig Sheffer and James Russo. PG-13.
Dude, Where Is my Car?: Danny Leiner's one-joke
comedy is about a couple of dudes who get too drunk to remember where
they parked the car. PG-13.
Skipped Parts: Coming-of-age tale directed
by Tamara Davis stars Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Brad Renfro,
Mischa Barton and Bug Hall. R.
Traffik: British TV six-hour miniseries was
shown on PBS, but with success of Traffic, which is based on
the series, it's now available in VHS and DVD formats. Described by
The New York Times home video reviewer as "complex and riveting,"
the show explores the heroin trade from the perspective of England's
drug czar (Bill Paterson), his addicted daughter (Julia Ormand), a
German businessman (George Kukura), who gets caught dealing, and his
wife (Lindsay Duncan). Highly acclaimed. R.
Unbreakable: M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth
Sense) directs, and Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson put themselves
on the line in understated roles. Willis's character is inner-directed
and thoughtful, while Jackson's steely reserve and crushing vulnerability
are quietly menacing. Beautifully directed, it's a great movie. Very
highly recommended. PG-13. See
review.
You Can Count on Me: Kenneth Lonergan's beautifully
understated film about family ties stars Laura Linney and Mark Ruffalo
as adult siblings. Also, Rory Culkin, Matthew Broderick and Jon Tenney.
Funny and real, with wonderful performances by Linney and Ruffalo,
it's very highly recommended. R. See
review.
Next week: The Body, Dracula 2000, Head
Over Heels, Malena, Sanctimony, Snatch and The Wedding Planner.
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