Today’s quick review: Checkmate. Joey (Johnny Messner), a hotheaded criminal, and his reluctant brother Ron (Zach Touchon) lead a bold bank robbery in broad daylight. The robbery affects the lives of several strangers, including the father of a sick child, a pregnant woman, and a hitman priest (Sean Astin). Meanwhile, a heavenly figure (Danny Glover) and his diabolical counterpart (Vinnie Jones) play a high-stakes game of chess.
Checkmate is a crime movie with light fantasy overtones. Checkmate aims higher than most movies of its caliber. Its vision comes across clearly: a meaningful, multithreaded story with a touch of the divine that builds to an intricate finale. However, its writing, acting, and direction are not up to the task. Checkmate seems to know where it is going, but it lacks the skill to get there.
Checkmate makes a lot of little mistakes that add up quickly. The dialogue repeats itself constantly. Characters laugh for no real reason. The opening flash-forward depicts significant events that are never recapped later in the film. The camera focuses on the wrong people and objects, leaving important items out of the shot. The characters never quite manage to be sympathetic, and the moment-to-moment logic of the plot doesn’t hang together well.
Checkmate makes for a perversely fun watch for fans of well-crafted cinema. The movie’s ambitious ideas and honest mistakes give it a rare sort of charm. Checkmate is perfect for a casual viewing with a critical eye. Those looking for a better film should skip it. Those intrigued by the idea of an abstract crime drama should check out Revolver, which comes the closest to realizing Checkmate’s vision.
3.1 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 4.0 for quality of execution and a 6.5 for unintentional charm.