Quezon's Game

It's a little-known bit of history that first-time features director Matthew Rosen...brought to the screen in a straightforward, efficient film that may not win many plaudits for style or acting but has a story that's never less than fascinating.

The story is a real-life political chess game with the makings of a gripping race-against-the-clock thriller; but here it drags out into sluggish, dull and unconvincing melodrama.

It may not always qualify as great cinema, but when it comes to presenting a fascinating, emotionally rewarding history lesson, you'll be hanging on every scene.

An interesting historical story here, not very well done in cinematic terms.

Unfortunately, the poor production values, ham-fisted screenplay and uneven performances prevent it from achieving the desired dramatic impact.

This political back-and-forth is... cheapened by the broad, near-hagiographic strokes with which Rosen paints his leading characters, who spend most of the run-time speechifying between stagy puffs of cigars.

"Quezon's Game" is both a very important and a very well-directed, shot and acted film and a must see for every fan of historical-political films.

The film doesn't really pack the emotional punch it should on screen. Instead it goes at a gentler pace and never really manages to capture on the edge of your seat tension.

Quezon's Game is a compelling labor of love, in part because it's a thrilling story, but also because of the leading man.

Unfortunately the film is not worthy of its subject, being too melodramatic and stultifyingly verbose....Good intentions cannot compensate for clumsy execution.