esrosedotblog

Today's film valiantly tries to make those of us who don't know or want to know about chess a part of the picture.

It failed utterly with me.

Like the game.

I could never conjure any interest for it when I was a kid.

I tried.

The smart kids were in the chess club. I was smart but an intuitive thinker and not up for the challenge of a logic game.

I am also averse to the idea of combat or even the notion of win/lose.

So today's wildly acclaimed, award winning picture, fell like a thud for me.

The Dark Horse (2016)

The hook for people like me was human interest. But it was hard. The main character is a kind of idiot savant. A homeless guy, incapable, mentally challenged. Or mentally ill. His one bright spot is chess. He is bafflingly good at it.

Well, I was baffled.

And here is the other thing. It is pretty much one of the thirteen standard plots. Up from the bottom with the one thing you are good at. Inspirational. Not my cup of tea either.

So, I had to drop out of it. That means that it gets a 1 out of Netflix5 for me.

A bit unfair I suppose. A lot of people liked it a lot.

But all that checkerboard shit. Too much.

Labels: films