User reviews

it was great to me, i love this kind of movies and it get through me deeply to my heart. the actors were so good. the cinematography and directing was great. the music was light and smooth and its nice. good movie. i like the main character so much and it was good written and imagined with great acting. it was perfect to the main character.

... and its minimalism is the basic motif to define it as a real good film. because it is an universal story. about totalitarian regime, about chance, family, friendship, love. and about choices. and this is the great good point in the case of "The Chessplayer"- the references to similar stories. and the grace of performances. sure, it is not a great film. but its message is precise and touching and useful. and this is the only significant thing. who gives to viewer the opportunity to explore a strange world. about a man, the chess and the survive. and this is is the virtue in this case. not a count of Monte Cristo - except the beginning. not a story about resistance. but, for a time, the image of the last scene. because , first, it is a memory story. for to understand. a century, the history lessons in the right context, the legacy of the ancestors. so, a simple story. real useful.

Moving and attractive melodrama about an obstinate man , a chess player , who becomes involved in several problems when is accused as a spy in the Nazi invaded France . It starts in 1934 Diego Padilla (Marc Clotet) wins the Spanish Championship of Chess and finds his friend Javier Sánchez (Alejo Sauras) , the latter introduces him a French reporter , Marianne Latour (Melina Matthews) , and subsequently they fall in love , marry and they have a daughter . At the end of the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) , Marianne convinces Diego to live in Paris with their daughter, where shortly afterwards Diego will be framed of spying by the Nazis and imprisoned in a Gestapo prison.

Wonderful adaptation of the novel by the prestigious writer Stefan Zweig to the big screen . A stirring and romantic flick with dramatic events, thrills, emotion, betrayal and a love story. There are numerous historical remarks about Spanish Republic , Stalinist period and Nazi time. Interpretations are uniformly decent. The yarn is very nice set, packing luxurious cinematography by cameraman Juan Carlos Gómez , evocative musical score by Alejandro Vivas , great production design and glamorous costumes. The production values and settings of the show are also outstanding : buildings , halls , jails , all of them with colorful photography and flawlessly selected locations and costumes make us travel in time to the most convulsive times in the history of the 20th century . I was really impressed to see how the two protagonists filled up the screen so wholehartedly . Stars Marc Clotet as a stubborn young man called Diego who will try to survive in a hostile environment thanks to SS Colonel Maier's passion for chess and Melina Matthews as the romantic heroine . And good secondary cast , such as : Alejo Saura is pretty fine as the astute communist who falls in distress , Andrés Gertrúdix as an unfortunate prisoner , Stefan Weinert in his usual role as a Nazi officer ,Pau Durà as Commandant Hernández , Mike Hoffmann as Sergeant Kauffman , Maarten Dannenberg as Corporal Reinke , among others .

The motion picture was competently directed by Luis Oliveiras and inspiring by historical events about the Spanish Civil conflict and German encroachment on France (1940-1945) . Luis had budget enough thanks to important producer Gerardo Herrero that financed lavishly this enjoyable movie . Oliveiras is a good craftsman with an interesting career , his film debut was Pata Negra , though he has made a lot of TV episodes of popular series , such as : La Valla , Estoy Vivo , Alatriste , Manolita Gafotas , La Huella Del Crimen and El Angel De Budapest.

This El Jugador De Ajedrez 2017 won several Nominations and Prizes , such as : Global Music Awards (GMA) 2017 Winner Silver Medal Best Original Score/Soundtrack (Film and Television) Alejandro Vivas . Hollywood International Moving Pictures Film Festival 2017 Winner HIMPFF Award Best Original Score Alejandro Vivas . London Independent Film Awards 2017 Winner Best Original Score Best Original Score Alejandro Vivas . Málaga Spanish Film Festival 2017 Nominee Golden Biznaga Best Spanish Film Luis Oliveros . European Independient Festival : award to best musical score . North American Film Awards 2017 Winner Silver Award Alejandro Vivas. Oniros Film Awards 2017 Winner Best of Year Best of Year Julio Castedo (producer) Juan Antonio Casado (producer) ,Gerardo Herrero (producer) , Ishtar Films ,(production company) , Tornasol Films (production company) Winner October Monthly Edition Best Original Soundtrack , Best Feature Film Luis Oliveros ,Julio Castedo (writer) . Views of the World Festival 2017 Winner Jury Award Best Music Alejandro Vivas . WorldFest Houston 2017 Winner Gold Remi Award Best Music Score , Best Actor Marc Clotet , Winner Platinum Remi Award Best Feature Film ,Luis Oliveros (director) , Ishtar Films (production company) , Best Feature Screenplay: Historical-Period Piece.

If you're looking for wild action/adventure or crazy plot twists, this movie won't be for you. It's a simple story, told through beautiful images and very good acting. I loved it, enough so that I'm looking forward to watching it again.

Having patience doesn't mean you should sit around and do nothing; it means standing firm in what you believe in while you wait.

Well told story, pacing is great, and covers plenty of historical and human elements.