A good movie based in a novel by Vladimir Nabokov (written in 1930) about Alexander Luzhin, a Russian chess genius and borderline psychotic who suffers a mental breakdown during the world championship in Italy (not having read the book, I cannot say whether the movie is faithful to it). During the tournament Luzhin knows and falls in love with the beautiful Natalia, a fellow émigré Russian, who despite the fierce opposition of her family returns his attention, eventually agreeing to marry him. The main suspension of disbelief in the movie comes from this. Of course, the beautiful girl chooses shy sensitive guy over tough, macho rival is a staple of romantic comedies. But Luzhin, as played by John Turturro, goes beyond the shy and sensitive and into the downright bizarre and borderline autistic. He appears unkempt, absent minded, with dirty clothes. My experience is that women never fall for men like that, they might pity them, they might become friendly with them but they would never feel any sexual attraction to them. Of course, the movie suggests that one of the reasons Natalia agrees to marry Luzhin is not so much because she feels sexually attracted to him (there is a scene where they kiss that is terribly awkward) but to upset her domineering insufferable mother. Also being a chess grandmaster in the path to become the world champion helps, even if your personality is totally off putting. The beautiful Italian settings help the movie a lot. The movie is also bolstered by the fine performance of pretty Emily Watson (she of blue moist seducing eyes, very believable as a Slavic beauty) as Natalia. On the other hand, whether John Turturro's characterization of Luzhin is good is debatable. I think he makes the character too broad.
Review of The Luzhin Defence
