5/10
This was a movie I wanted to like a lot more than I actually did, or maybe one that I thought I would like more than I did. Shot in documentary style with a black-and-white camera and taking place over a weekend of a computer chess tournament at a hotel in the early 80's, it has an appealing retro feel. The story drifts around, spending time with participants in the tournament and other funny/bizarre going-ons at the hotel, but never commits to anything conceptually. It's billed as something of a comedy, but it wasn't particularly funny. A few strands are interesting or humorous, but nothing to write home about. This was a movie that did very well at the Sundance festival earlier this year, and my reaction to it is the same as my reaction to a lot of Sundance-approved films...it's nice and quirky enough for Mom & Pop to think it's different and exotic, but safe enough to risk offending no one. I personally thought it could have done and been a lot more.
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