Computer Chess

COMPUTER CHESS

Director : Andrew Bujalski

Year : 2013

Genre : Comedy

Rating : **

 

A rather odd and quirky affair, 'Computer Chess' is a sometimes frustrating and complex comedy from independant filmmaker Andrew Bujalski. Set in the 1980's, the movie tells the story of a tournament between chess enthusiasts and brand new advanced computer programmes. A big hit on the indie circuit, 'Computer Chess' has featured at some of the biggest film festivals including the prestigious South By Southwest festival and and even winning the coveted Alfred P. Sloan Film Prize at the Sundance film festival, but while the movie certainly has it's fans and has gained something of a cult following, I myself found the movie quite a struggle. For a comedy, it is pretty vapid and the characters are nothing but caricatures. It is as if the director was forcefully trying to make the film as innocuous and as idiosyncratic as possible and as a result, I quickly lost patience with the inert and tiresome narrative.

Set over the course of one weekend, 'Computer Chess' tells the nail biting story of thirty or so chess players pitting their skills and talents against the newest technology. As the days pass, the players and programmers begin to reveal their own faults and quirks and soon the battle between man and machine becomes a battle of values and egos.

Along with his contemporaries such as Noah Baumbach and Wes Anderson, Andrew Bujalski has shaped the way in which the independant film industry functions with such films as 'Funny Ha Ha' and the yawn inducing 'Beeswax'. In many ways, I can see what he is trying to do with 'Computer Chess' and the direction and the pacing is certainly something to be admired. However, the jokes are not at all funny, the characters are barely developed and the overall narrative is for lack of a better word, boring. Despite it's faults, it does look beautiful. Shot in nostalgic analogue black and white, the film does a nice job of conveying an evocative air of sentimentality and an age long lost. Clearly made for a niche audience 'Computer Chess' may appeal to those who have an interest in the history of technology or chess but sadly when all is said and done, I can't profess to have either and it wasn't long for the noodly dialogue and over-ly quirky characters to completely grind me down.