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Dann in reel life: 'Dragons' takes on Spanish Civil War

Reel Life review: ‘There Be Dragons'

The historical drama “There Be Dragons” (sorry, the dragons are strictly metaphorical) celebrates Roland Joffe's return to the grand epic style he's famous for in such features as “The Killing Fields” and “The Mission.”

The story traces the relationship between Opus Dei founder and eventual Catholic saint Josemaria Escriva (Charlie Cox) and his childhood friend, Manolo Torres (Wes Bentley) during the early decades of the 20th century.

After right-wing generals stage an uprising in Spain, and the nation becomes divided between the fascists and the communists, Josemaria, a priest, goes on the lam to avoid execution by the fascists.

Manolo enlists with the fascists, and becomes a spy planted among communist rebels led by Oriol (the charismatic Rodrigo Santoro).

Josemaria loves God. Manolo loves a Hungarian freedom fighter (“Quantum of Solace” star Olga Kurylenko), who has eyes only for the idealistic Oriol. No good can come from this.

“There Be Dragons” can be appreciated for its ambitious, spectacular “Gone With the Wind”-like scope, especially in the sweeping recreation of the 1936 Battle of Madrid during the Spanish Civil War.

Joffe effectively evokes the spirit and style of David Lean, but his movie is a problematic mess. It was scripted by Joffe himself, who had no one to check him on the bloated, overly long opening segments and ear-scratching grandiose narration.

“In those days,” the narrator intones, “death was a part of life!” (Duh, when exactly isn't death a part of life?)

For no apparent purpose, Joffe gunks up his story by framing it as a first-person account by Manolo's son (Dougray Scott) who, in 1977, attempts to convince his estranged, aged father (Bentley wearing bad, phony-looking old-age makeup) to talk about his life in the Civil War.

Eventually, Manolo takes over the first-person narration to talk about Josemaria, who then takes over the first-person narration to talk about the people he knew during his participation in the Civil War.

“There Be Dragons” winds up with at least four narrative layers that scream out for Leonardo DiCaprio to help us navigate through them with his spinning top.

Sometimes, a historical epic can be too epic for its own good.

“There Be Dragons” opens at area theaters. Rated PG-13 for language, drug use and violence. 122 minutes. ★ ★ ½

Reel Life review: ‘Queen to Play'

The greatest chess movie ever made remains “Searching For Bobby Fischer” (unless you count Ingmar Bergman's “The Seventh Seal” as a chess movie).

In the meantime, Caroline Bottaro's impressive directorial debut “Queen to Play” fills the bill as a sweet, sincere ode to the game for its power to intellectually and socially transform a stifled middle-aged French maid into a self-aware woman of options.

Sandrine Bonnaire plays Helene, a mundane, frumpy maid. While changing hotel room sheets, she spots an incredibly sexual female (Chicago's Jennifer Beals) playing chess with a man.

This image so affects her, she becomes determined to learn the game, first by buying her confused husband (Francis Renaud) a computerized chess set, then by convincing an intellectual American expatriate (Kevin Kline in his first French-speaking role) to mentor her.

“Queen to Play” is in no hurry to tell its story, and Bottaro's measured narrative allows us to bond deeply with Bonnaire's fully fleshed character so that her tiny triumphs on the board become home runs for us. (Excuse the Americanized sports metaphor.)

Bonnaire and Kline suggest a trace of romantic attraction for each other, otherwise, it's an intellectual riff of a Mr. Miyagi/Daniel-san relationship, without any “wax-on, wax-off” moments. They aren't needed here.

“Queen to Play” opens at the Music Box Theatre, Chicago. Not rated. 101 minutes. ★ ★ ★

Love/hate story of sex

Join me and film historian Raymond Benson as Dann & Raymond's Movie Club presents “Sex in Hollywood: A Love/Hate Story” on a new day, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 11, at the Arlington Heights Memorial Library, 500 N. Dunton Ave., Arlington Heights. Included will be clips from such cutting-edge fare as “The Kiss,” “Son of the Sheik,” “Streetcar Named Desire” and “From Here to Eternity,” plus others. Go to ahml.info or call (847) 392-0100.

Note: For this Dann & Raymond show, parental guidance is suggested for very young film lovers.

‘Certified Copy' arrives

The After Hours Film Society presents Abbas Kiarostami's “Certified Copy” at 7:30 p.m. Monday at the Tivoli Theater, 5021 Highland Ave., Downers Grove. General admission $9 ($5 members). Juliette Binoche and William Shimell play two strangers who meet in Tuscany and, when assumed to be married, go along with the perception. Call (630) 534-4528 or go to afterhoursfilmsociety.com.

A mother of a film

The anti-Mother's Day movie of all-time, “Mommie Dearest,” will be shown at 1:30 p.m. Sunday at the Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport Ave., Chicago. Music by a band called The Joans. A Joan Crawford look-alike contest will be held, too. Special lunch options are available. Go to musicboxtheatre.com for tickets and details.

• Daily Herald film critic Dann Gire's column runs Fridays in Time out!