The Luzhin Defence

Visiting a lakeside resort in 1929 Italy for a championship tournament, idiosyncratic and unstable chess grand master Alexander Luzhin (John Turturro) finds himself distracted by a beautiful Russian heiress (Emily Watson) in this passionately crafted adaptation of an early Vladimir Nabokov novel. Directed by Marleen Gorris (Mrs. Dalloway, Antonia's Line), The Luzhin Defence is a grand, emotionally-charged period piece with a striking visual beauty, dramatic performances from talented leads, and a rich sense of time and place. But the film focuses on Luzhin and his backstory so exclusively it becomes a detriment to all others, with Watson's character, in particular, going largely unexplored, leaving one to wonder what she sees in the wildly unstable and disheveled chess player. Too, Turturro seems a little too wrapped up in the mannerisms of his character at times; he never lacks credibility, but as a viewer you are always acutely aware that he is method acting with a capital "M." Optional. (R. Blackwelder)