Vladimir Nabokov’s vision of a chess genius and his lover, mapped out against a luscious European backdrop by director Marleen Gorris, becomes a flawed, flat film.
While vacationing with her haughty mother at a luxurious Italian resort, Natalia (Emily Watson) meets and falls for eccentric, virtuoso chess player Alexander Luzhin (John Turturro), who’s competing in the world tournament. Despite their obvious differences, she works hard to make Luzhin the marrying type. But Luzhin’s mental demons eventually surface, threatening to shatter their relationship and his own fragile mind.Strong performances by Watson, Turturro and Alexander Hunting – a dead ringer for Turturro who plays the young Luzhin in flashback sequences – are diluted by numerous clich