Queen to Play (2009) Joueuse (original title)

Director:

Caroline Bottaro

Writers:

Caroline Bottaro (writer)
Bertina Henrichs (novel)

Release Date:

1 April 2011 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Middle-aged chambermaid Hélène's newfound obsession with the game of chess leads her to seek the tutelage of a reclusive American expat...

Plot Keywords:

Chess | Chambermaid | Birthday | Corsica | Bus

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Sandrine Bonnaire	...	Hélène
Kevin Kline	...	Kröger
Valérie Lagrange	...	Maria
Francis Renaud	...	Ange
Alexandra Gentil	...	Lisa
Alice Pol	...	Natalia
Didier Ferrari	...	Jacky
Laurence Colussi	...	Pina
Élisabeth Vitali	...	Marie-Jeanne
Daniel Martin	...	Le président du club d'échecs
Dominic Gould	...	L'Américain
Jennifer Beals	...	L'Américaine
Valérie Tréjean	...	L'infirmière
François Orsoni	...	Le journaliste
Christine Ambrosini	...	La femme de l'autocar
Anne-Camille Challier	...	Fanny
Ivia	...	La dame des toilettes
Lionel Tavera	...	Le chauffeur du bus
Gilbert Barbera	...	Le fiancé de Maria
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Maxime Delauney	...	Le jeune homme du tournoi

Directed by
Caroline Bottaro

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Caroline Bottaro		writer
Bertina Henrichs		novel

Produced by
Dominique Besnehard	....	producer
Michel Feller	....	producer
Jean-Philippe Laroche	....	executive producer
Amelie Latscha	....	co-producer

Cinematography by
Jean-Claude Larrieu

Film Editing by
Tina Baz

Casting by
Tatiana Vialle

Production Design by
Emmanuel de Chauvigny

Set Decoration by
Frédéric Jacq

Costume Design by
Dorothée Guiraud

Makeup Department
Cédric Kerguillec	....	makeup artist
Fabienne Robineau	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Rémi Bergman	....	production manager
Ollivier Guytard	....	assistant unit manager
Jean-Philippe Laroche	....	post-production manager
Victor Léocata	....	assistant unit manager
Michel Simongiovanni	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jeanne Guerra	....	second second assistant director
Thomas Parnet	....	second assistant director
Julien Zidi	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Charlotte Bayle	....	titles designer
Carine Demongueres	....	first assistant art director
Geraldine Scaramela	....	assistant art director

Sound Department
Selim Azzazi	....	sound editor
Nicolas Bourgeois	....	assistant sound editor
Emmanuel Croset	....	sound re-recording mixer
Ivan Dumas	....	boom operator
Erwan Kerzanet	....	sound
Michel Monier	....	sound consultant: dolby
Pierre Picq	....	boom operator
Hubert Teissedre	....	post sync recording engineer
Jean-Alexandre Villemer	....	sound recordist

Visual Effects by
Stephane Bidault	....	visual effects supervisor
Christophe Lucotte	....	color grader
Romain Moussel	....	digital effects artist
Bes Paul-Emmanuel	....	digital artist
François Poupon	....	visual effects artist
Christian Tomikowski	....	digital compositor

Camera and Electrical Department
François Coulin	....	key grip
Clément Fabre	....	second assistant camera
Bertrand Follet	....	director of photography: second unit
Vincent Plaidy	....	first assistant camera
Xavier Renaudot	....	electrician
Xavier Renaudot	....	gaffer

Casting Department
Valérie Trajanovski	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Dorothée Guiraud	....	costume supervisor
Chloé Lesueur	....	costumer
Mireille Todounou	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Fabien Napoli	....	colorist: dailies
Géraldine Rétif	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Angelo Giovagnoli	....	music coordinator
Nicola Piovani	....	original music composition and performance
Roma Film Orchestra	....	music performed by

Other crew
Maxime Delauney	....	production assistant
Florence Franceschi	....	location manager
Ollivier Guytard	....	location manager
Sophie Heurzeau	....	production assistant
Julien Rambaud	....	assistant unit manager
Delphine Régnier	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Mon Voisin Productions (co-production)
• Blueprint Film (co-production)
• StudioCanal (co-production)
• France 2 Cinéma (co-production)
• Canal+ (participation)
• France 2 (FR2) (participation)
• Canal+ Horizons (participation)
• CinéCinéma (participation)
• Tele München Fernseh Produktionsgesellschaft (TMG) (participation)
• Eurimages (support)
• Collectivité Territoriale de la Corse (support)
• Corsica Pôle Tournages (support)
• Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication (participation)
• Centre National de la Cinématographie (CNC) (participation)
• Filmförderungsanstalt (FFA) (participation)

Distributors

• StudioCanal (2008) (France) (theatrical)
• Zeitgeist Films (2011) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Concorde Filmverleih (2008) (Germany) (all media)
• Concorde Filmverleih (2009) (Austria) (all media)
• HBO Hungary (2012) (Hungary) (TV)
• Zon Lusomundo Audiovisuais (2011) (Portugal) (all media)

Other Companies

• Roma Film Orchestra  music performed by

Also Known As:

"Joueuse" - France (original title)

Runtime:

97 min | USA:101 min | Germany:100 min (European Film Market)

Country:

France | Germany

Language:

French | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

Australia:MA | Portugal:M/12 (Qualidade) | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Corsica, France

Company:

Mon Voisin Productions

Goofs:

Continuity: The first morning when she's preparing to leave the house, Helene makes a tight chignon of her hair. When she's outside the hotel room, her chignon is much larger. Then, as soon as she enters the hotel room, her chignon is small again.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Maltin on Movies: Conan the Barbarian (#1.46)" (2011)

Charming and uplifting...

Hélène is "a simple housemaid", living a very modest life with her husband and daughter, who both take her for granted. One day, after watching a couple play chess in idyllic conditions, she decides to learn how to play.

Throughout the film, chess is very much a symbol for Hélène aspiring to more in life. At one point, while trying to teach her husband how to play, her eyes light up as she says "La dame est la pièce la plus forte... c'est fou hein?" which could be roughly translated as "The queen is the strongest piece on the board... crazy, huh?".

This single sentence seems to encapsulate the whole state of mind of our protagonist. On one hand, the idea that she could accomplish anything, even be great or the best at anything seems far-fetched to her, yet terribly enticing. She is on a journey towards self-realization that is both exciting and a little scary to Hélène and those around her.

Sandrine Bonnaire is absolutely amazing as usual, and succeeds in showing the state of mind of her character in very few words. Kevin Kline is great as well playing Dr. Kröger, the man who teaches chess to Hélène and develops an unusual and complex bound with her. There are lots of nuances in their relationship and again, in few words, we as viewers can sense a lot is going on. Tension, attraction, challenges.

Caroline Bottaro's direction captures very well Hélène's modest and quiet life and the implicit contrasts between social classes.

I recommend this movie. If you are not convinced yet, give Guy Bellinger's review (here on IMDb) a read.