Viewers whose main interest is seeing Ms. Beckinsale "uncovered" will not be disappointed. However, the movie itself is not so bad either. Although a little rough by Hollywood standards, it offers a decent murder mystery with an interesting twist. Beckinsale plays Julia, a rising star in the world of art restoration. An aristocratic family commissions her to work on a Renaissance painting that has been in their possession for over 500 years. It depicts two men playing chess while a woman watches in the background. Julia quickly discovers that the painting has been altered and contains clues to the murder of one of the chess players. As soon as Julia grows curious about this 500 year-old crime, someone begins killing people close to her. She can only conclude that solving the ancient mystery will provide the key to her present-day horrors.

While Julia continues to coax hidden details from the painting, she enlists the aid of a truly unique character. She hires Domenec (Paudge Behan), a sort of "chess bum," to work out the details of the game in the painting -- the moves that brought the pieces to where they are and the likely outcome of the game. The bohemian Domenick makes his living hustling high-stakes chess games (huh?). His surfer-with-a-brain appearance and lifestyle provide both a foil and an eventual romantic allure for the uptight Julia. From there, it becomes a race between this unlikely duo and the killer. They must solve the mystery before more people, including Julia herself, are murdered.


An underappreciated gem   May 1, 2005
 30 out of 30 found this review helpful

A surprisingly good mystery with strong performances by the entire cast. This features Kate B. before the fake boobs and the fake attitude and she is delightful-possibly her best performance as an actress. Some have complained that the murder mystery is a bit contrived and of course it is--almost all murder mysteries are a bit contrived, but the intertwining of the old mystery with the new mystery is very well done. It's also a joy to see a movie which recognizes the existence of the game of chess.

One sour note is the first few minutes of the sound track which is an unbelievably wretched piece of music. Feel free to turn the sound off until there is dialogue. If you choose not to, don't say I didn't warn you.


A fun, light whimsical jaunt   September 12, 2004
 21 out of 23 found this review helpful

I can't believe I bought this movie as an experiment and it turned out to be so good! This is Kate Beckinsale back in her early twenties. She's an art restorer who stumbles across a mystery in the past that rides in to her future.
There is much whimsy in this story. The characters almost seem like cartoons at first, but you soon find that this is their charm. The mystery is interesting and keeps you guessing. I thought I had the ending figured out, but I was happily wrong.
The other major component of the storyline is the majesty of Barcelona. Barcelona's beauty is gallant and yet subtle. The wonderful architecture will wow you, the simple but stylish city streets and the simple but romantic people give this film a rich texture that will no doubt make you want to make Spain your next vacation spot.
If this same film had been set in New York, it would have fallen dull. This could easily have fallen in to clique'. But instead it had a different adventure to give. The music is fun and transforms some of the more serious moments in to a blended feel of satisfaction. 'What you're doing is serious, but don't forget you're having fun.' Is the feeling I got from the score.

I really enjoyed this film. It is not a deep mystery nor a passionate love affair and the dialog isn't Shakespeare, but that being said, you can sit and relax with this story. Most of the people are likable and you'll feel like you're among friends. Give it a try. It's one of those forgotten art gems that we're privileged to now see many years later on DVD.

It's also neet to see how Kate had progressed in her career. I just wish she would stop smoking.