While Computer Chess is spruiked as a ‘hilariously offbeat comedy’, it only draws a few tepid chuckles, most of which don’t make the trip from brain to mouth. But assuming it’s one of those comedies where you’re not supposed to laugh, it’s still enjoyable. I’m just not sure if it’s enjoyable enough to invest your hard earned cash and time on.
Set over a weekend sometime in the early 80’s, the story follows a group of chess-software programmers competing against one another, machine vs. machine, and culminating with a showdown between the winner of the competition and arrogant Chess Grandmaster and conference emcee Pat Henderson (Gerard Peary)- one of the more consistent sources of humour in the film.
The opening scene is a drab introduction of the conference and a discussion between the panel of programmers on technological advances, software, hardware, tactics, processing, algorithms, etc. Someone in the crowd is shown dozing off. It’s an ominous sign, and we hope it’s not setting the tone for the rest of the film, but it is. For a comedy, it sure is light on the jokes and heavy on the drab, dragging, mumbley conversations. Independent programmer Mike Papageorge (Myles Paige) makes a crack about this, saying that he finds the programming of his competitors to be almost as boring as this discussion. A renegade has emerged from the crowd, albeit a computer-chess-programming crowd.
Director Andrew Bujalski (Funny Ha Ha, Mutual Appreciation) is relentless with his pursuit for authenticity. We see it aesthetically in seemingly archival black-and-white analogue footage from bulky Sony cameras, archaic computer monitors, projector slides and the very 80’s wardrobes.
But what’s more laudable is just how well he nails the realism in dialogue and characterisation. It’s just a crying shame the content is so dull. There are attempts to jolt some excitement or tension into it with computer malfunctions or recreational drug use, and for the most part it works, but then it’s back to monochrome shots of empty hallways.
The acting is fantastic. I read that for a large portion of the cast, this was their debut screen appearance, which just adds to the admiration. All the subtleties and nuances, all the discomfort and social awkwardness, it’s all delivered flawlessly.
Probably the most commendable quality of the film is its representation of techies/programming nerds. Compared to the shallow ‘Big Bang Theory’ characterisation of ‘hey it’s funny because they’re virgins and have asthma, where’s my Emmy?’ Computer Chess feels like CCTV footage. Yeah it’s the tragic haircuts and thick-rimmed glass, but it’s more than that. The real depth lies in the acronym names of their software, the reoccurring first (and only) girl at the conference gag, the mathematics joke from team NooG that needs to be explained, and the perfectly delivered awkwardness of their social encounters- down to the minute details of posture, out-of-breath nervousness and lack of eye contact.
The conference is also shared with a group of new-age spiritual/sexual enlightenment-seeking couples, the antics of which provide both mild comedic-relief and also intense discomfort. Highlights include them mimicking stimulating one another on fresh loaves of bread, Papageorge being roped into a rebirthing with the couples transforming into a giant womb and pushing him out, or the most disturbing of them all, an attempted ménage à trois between one of the couples and an unknowing programmer.
While Computer Chess is a mockumentary about a subculture, don’t make my mistake and anticipate a Christopher Guest film. The laughs are either not there or so well hidden that you give up seeking. In saying this, the film is still interesting and unique, but more as a time capsule of a recent era. Bujalski also uses interesting techniques to wane in and out of the mockumentary format- most notably a woozy drug-induced hallucination of overlapping sound and looping footage, various flashbacks from characters or the question of who’s filming when the character of the cameraman is on the screen?
I guess in hindsight, when you look at the subject matter, it’s a miracle the film isn’t an absolute bore. But instead it’s just a little one, peppered with enough amusement to digest it, but not enough to lick the plate clean.
Review Score: TWO AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE).
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This article was original written for the Sydney Film Festival. Computer Chess is showing exclusively at ACMI in Melbourne for a limited season, opening Friday 27th December. For more details, visit: http://www.acmi.net.au/lp_computer_chess.aspx
ARTICLE BY JAMES HOLMES
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