A sexy young Russian lady who doesn’t speak English sets herself up at a chess table in New York City’s Central Park and tries to invite passersby to engage her in a game. A sad faced shlub who was stood up by his date ambles by and agrees to play. After losing badly, the lady encourages him to try again. They continue playing through the course of the day – but where can this relationship go?
The short film “Kosmonavt” deserves to be seen for Julie Orkis’ performance as the Russian chess hustler. If the IMDb is any indication, her film work is scant – she is only credited for a small role in an obscure feature from 2018 – but casting directors need to pay attention to her because she is funny, sexy and a natural on camera. Plus, she is the rare actress who can do a Russian accent without sounding like Natasha from the Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoons. I sincerely hope this short leads to bigger and better acting jobs.
The film has a major plot flaw that any New Yorker will immediately recognize, but without that gaffe the enigmatic ending would not have worked (and, no, I’m not dropping a spoiler on either aspect). There are no flaws in the film’s crisp cinematography via J.X. Carrera (who shot the film on a smartphone) and in a playfully edited segment by Kathleen Cameron that signifies the passage of time in chess matches. Anthony Noto wrote and directed the film and co-stars as the passerby rooked into the game.