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Luzhin Defence, The
Sony Pictures Classics

Luzhin Defence, The reviews
Critic Score
Metascore: 64 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
9.0 out of 10
based on 26 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
based on 1 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie

MPAA RATING: PG-13 for some sensuality and thematic elements

Starring John Turturro, Emily Watson, Geraldine James, Stuart Wilson, and Christopher Thompson

Based on the Vladimir Nabokov novel of the same name, this film examines the effects of love and obsession, and how two passions could tear a man apart. (Sony Pictures Classics)


GENRE(S): Romance  
WRITTEN BY: Peter Berry
Vladimir Nabokov (novel)
 
DIRECTED BY: Marleen Gorris  
RELEASE DATE: DVD: September 18, 2001 
Video: September 18, 2001 
Theatrical: April 20, 2001 
RUNNING TIME: 108 minutes, Color 
ORIGIN: UK / France 

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

91
Seattle Post-Intelligencer William Arnold
I can't think of another movie that more fluently communicates the special agony and ecstasy of the game of chess.
Read Full Review
90
The New York Times Dana Stevens
Moves with fluidity and ease through brisk opening conventions to a perfectly poised and balanced endgame.
Read Full Review
90
Los Angeles Times Kenneth Turan
Carefully made, involving and old-fashioned, the superior work it's inspired gives it an impact that lingers even when the endgame is over.
Read Full Review
83
Entertainment Weekly Ty Burr
Fine candy for mind and eye.
Read Full Review
80
Washington Post Michael O'Sullivan
Where it succeeds best is not in describing how Luzhin got broken but how love fixed him, albeit temporarily.
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80
LA Weekly F. X. Feeney
A smart, romantic, heartbreaking pleasure.
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75
Boston Globe Jay Carr
Watson's character grows in importance until she eclipses the recessive Luzhin.
75
Chicago Tribune Michael Wilmington
You'll find heartbreakingly star-crossed lovers, a heartless villain (Wilson) and a dazzling backdrop of aristocratic life before and after the Russian Revolution.
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75
New York Post Lou Lumenick
One of our best actors, Turturro surpasses his past fine work as Alexander Luzhin.
70
Film.com Peter Brunette
Gorris has beefed up the role of Natalia (Watson), with the end result that the film's emphasis is appropriately divided between the two characters in an emotionally satisfying way.
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70
Village Voice J. Hoberman
John Turturro, who, given the most romantic role of his career, fully inhabits the ungainly Luzhin.
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70
New York Magazine Peter Rainer
The stage is set for a wonderful movie, and yet The Luzhin Defence, based on the Vladimir Nabokov novel The Defense, never courts greatness.
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70
Variety Derek Elley
A smoothly made period romancer that's elevated by strong playing from its whole cast, led by John Turturro and Emily Watson as the starstruck lovers.
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63
Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert
The film is elegiac and sad, beautifully mounted, but not as compelling as it should be.
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63
Philadelphia Inquirer Desmond Ryan
Falls short of being totally absorbing and compelling.
63
New York Daily News Jack Mathews
Turturro's Luzhin is a cinematic soulmate of Dustin Hoffman's Rain Man and Geoffrey Rush's David Helfgott.
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63
Baltimore Sun Michael Sragow
Handsome and well-acted, yet it can't hold a pawn to Nabokov's harrowing and moving character study.
60
Wall Street Journal Joe Morgenstern
An attractive, intelligent film that's intractably at odds with itself.
60
New Times (L.A.) Bill Gallo
In the end, it demonstrates all over again the virtual impossibility of doing Nabokov justice on film, because his work is so resolutely and brilliantly made of words.
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50
San Francisco Chronicle Bob Graham
When the film sticks with the eccentric comedy of a highborn woman attracted to a preoccupied genius, it works splendidly. When it strays into melodrama, it is as ill-equipped as Luzhin.
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50
TV Guide Maitland McDonagh
The film's dark heart is Valentinov's mephistophelean scheming: He sets about sabotaging his former protégé's game for no apparent reason except sheer malice.
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50
Christian Science Monitor David Sterritt
Fails to score a checkmate.
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42
Portland Oregonian Shawn Levy
Capable but not transporting, never unraveling the mystery of its hero's genius or, worse, making us care enough to look deeper.
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40
Chicago Reader Jonathan Rosenbaum
Might be for you. Or you might be bored anyway.
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40
Austin Chronicle Marjorie Baumgarten
It's one of those period dramas about upper-crust Europeans in vacation resorts, which at first we think we've seen a million times before.
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40
Mr. Showbiz Kevin Maynard
A punishing tragedy that could best be described as the anti-"Shine."
Read Full Review

What Our Users Said

Vote Now!The average user rating for this movie is 9.0 (out of 10) based on 1 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Susan Q. gave it a 9:
I liked this movie a lot. The end bothered me a little because it seems like Hollywood can't make a movie without a nice little ending wrapped in a bow.

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