«Le jeu de la dame» owes much to its queen

Unpublished article - Kelly Lambiel

Taciturn and demanding, Beth Harmon has been so from an early age. With her assertive, piercing gaze, the orphan girl utters a firm «teach me to play», giving old Mr. Shaibel, initially reluctant to play with «a little girl», little chance to refuse. And very quickly, the pupil ends up surpassing the master. And then the masters. She impresses, she destabilizes. Even though she still doesn't understand much about it, having only watched the old janitor play in the basement once or twice from a distance, she already knows. She can see. The squares don't yet have names, the parries are totally unknown to her and the lady is for the moment just a «big piece that can go anywhere», but she learns fast. Soon, she'll be the one going everywhere.

But genius comes at a price. And the price is high, as it rarely fits in with the healthy, well-ordered life of a 1950s teenager. As Beth builds her career, her sanity deteriorates. The more precise and controlled her playing becomes, the more she loses her footing. And the gap is widening, the void to be filled immense. This is the paradox of the loneliest of board games. Behind that impeccably coiffed red hair, behind the glamour of her clothes, behind her perfectly filed and polished nails, what's hidden? What's behind those eyes that kill as imperceptibly as they devour, those gestures that caress as effectively as they finish?

Beth is enigmatic. Elusive, but irresistible. And the series, a real gem, owes a great deal to its lead actress, who really shines on the screen and carries it from start to finish with perfect restraint. Anya Taylor-Joy certainly has a face, and a beautiful one at that. But it's her acting - her eyes to be precise - and her gestures - her hands in particular - that give her role its depth. Sensual and cold, constantly on the alert, instinctive and in control, she not only makes the failures of her role look good, she also makes them look good. sexy but the series is addictive. The pace is slow, yes, but the photography, costumes and sets are meticulous, and the soundtrack is catchy. Added to this is the intelligent writing, which avoids the pitfalls of the teen movie or family drama; to avoid the feeling of déjà-vu. Simple, yet profound. In a word, effective. Netflix puts us in checkmate.

Write to the author: kelly.lambiel@leregardlibre.com

Photo credit: © Netflix