“Over the Board” is an honest film. Filmed in black and white for most of the proceedings, the cinematography by Elias Ginsberg is relaxed and inviting. What makes it honest is its avoidance of prison tropes and drama, and its focus, instead, on brothers. There’s one scene toward the film’s opening as Eric reads the letter that would reunite them, where I couldn’t help but notice and appreciate the utter humanity of the scenario. This was a man in prison, not a prisoner, and Elijah Shane Bell, who plays Eric, is skillful in his portrayal. Skillful too is Isaac Bell (Elijah’s real-life twin), who plays Ian. And though he shows up to visiting hours to play chess wearing a shirt and tie—and Eric trash talks in that typical prison swagger—the film excels at defying stereotypes, presenting these two as individuals who have both been hurt by circumstance.
Of Brothers Lost
There are times where “Over the Board” feels like an exciting chess film, reminding me of high stakes entertainment as in Netflix’s “The Queen’s Gambit.” However, there is never any doubt that this short, running at 27 minutes, never intends to be entertainment, but a vessel for communication. This isn’t a tale of two chess prodigies meeting in an anti-normative battleground, but of two people bartering for position. Ian wants a relationship with his brother, whom he only just recently found out about. Eric is ambivalent, and oftentimes tries to push Ian away. But with skilled dialogue and writing, “Over the Board” makes these two feel real. Eric recounts his rough upbringing in foster care, and how he learned to play chess from a roommate he’s now lost. Ian, however, isn’t the college boy Eric initially thought. He also grew up in foster care. We get the idea his experience was a little more positive than his brother’s, but “Over the Board” is expert in refusing to pass judgement.
Elijah Bell and Isaac Bell are both likable here, and how the film establishes their growth is its greatest achievement. The way the camera focuses on their faces as they play—or talk—enhances the film. And I loved the way that Ginsberg shows the chess board: it’s always at a surface level angle, or in such a way as to make the pieces seem like soldiers on a battlefield. We never get a pull back shot that shows where the pieces lie, but cluttered pieces mixing together as one or the other hits the button on the clock. As a chess movie—which I don’t think “Over the Board” is—it excels. The dramatic game play is interesting to watch, even as it is limited to a scene or two.
Makes You Feel its Stories
But where “Over the Board” works best is in its relationships. It has the necessary defense mechanisms (mostly on Eric’s side) as the two work out what their future might be. “We’re brothers, but we’re not family,” Eric throws out defensively. But where the film feels most real is in Ian’s reaction. Ian isn’t a tough-as-nails and patient well-do-do member of society. He gets hurt by Eric’s statements. One scene as Eric hammers into him to play more aggressively feels painful, and we can experience Ian’s stress and irritation. However, “Over the Board” wisely knows when to pull back. Fatalism is at play here, but the script knows when to have Eric lay off and just contemplate. A weaker film would have reduced Eric to a mere caricature of a person who only reacts in toughness and self-defense. That both Eric and Ian are capable of growth is the short’s greatest achievement. One game Ian wins feels like a victory; not against Eric, but against himself.
“Over the Board” is a good movie. It’s filmed and written well, and both its lead actors make you feel their stories. Its ending is hopeful yet honest, and makes you feel just a bit better after having watched it. At 27 minutes the film watches easily and its takeaways are necessary and provoke thought. Given the subject material, this could have been an infinitely darker and less inspiring production. However, at Bolado and its lead actors’ hands, the film leaves touching takeaways in its wake. A good and worthwhile film as we head into awards season.
Currently, “Over the Board” is in the festival circuit. It will be available to the public in the near future. Follow The Movie Buff for updates.
