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Patrick Reister plays Peter Bishton in "Computer Chess."
(Kin Lorber, Inc.)
You can't get much nerdier in the title department than "Computer Chess." But any notion that the latest film from writer-director Andrew Bujalski is some dry intellectual exercise should be dismissed quicker than a microprocessor can decide to move its king out of check.
If that comparison made even a lick of sense, you know enough about computers and chess to enjoy this bizarre and funny film set during the heady early days of the PC era, (1980, give or take a couple years). A convention of programmers descends on a nondescript hotel for a weekend convention-cum-competition devoted to devising the best chess-playing machine.
We meet several inevitably quirky characters, including the first “lady” entrant in the competition and its pompous grandmaster (played by longtime
). Other cast members include Wiley Wiggins and animator Bob Sabiston, both Austin, Texas, locals known from their collaborations with director Richard Linklater. Patrick
, in his film debut, plays Peter Bishton, an awkward, quiet guy who finds himself bouncing between apocalypse-minded survivalists, a New Age-ish couples therapy group sharing the hotel, and maybe even (gulp) a girl.
Bujalski shot “Computer Chess” with an ancient portable video camera known as a Portapak, which gives it a grainy black-and-white, streaky look in keeping with its retro futurism. There’s one color sequence, but that only comes when things really get weird. It’s a change of pace for Bujalski, previously known for “mumblecore” efforts such as “Funny Ha Ha” and “Mutual Appreciation.”
It’s hard to describe the film without making it sound, in part, like a satire of these polyester-clad, unfortunately-coiffed proto-geeks, and there’s some humor in their appearance and their social ineptitude. But once the discussions about the difference between “real artificial intelligence” and “artificial real intelligence” get going, it’s clear that Bujalski is interested in the same ideas as his characters, imperfect as they are.
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"COMPUTER CHESS"
Grade: A-
Rated: not rated
Running time: 92 minutes
Playing at: Opens Friday, Nov. 8 at Cinema 21
Cast and crew:
, Gerald Peary, Wiley Wiggins, Myles Paige, Bob Sabiston; directed by Andrew Bujalski.
The lowdown: A group of 1980s computer programmers gather in a hotel for a weekend tournament to determine who can write the best chess-playing program. Shot in archaic black-and-white video, Bujalski's weird, sly period film is highly entertaining both as ensemble comedy and an off-the-wall head trip.