Alicia Scherson

A board game champion sinks deeper into his obsession while on vacation at a Chilean seaside resort in Summer War, director Alicia Scherson’s second adaptation of a book by Chilean author Roberto Bolaño. Summer War has the laid-back feel of a summer vacation at first, with warm cinematography from Alejo Maglio and deliberate pacing. Unfortunately, there’s a less-than-compelling protagonist, one of those insufferable American tourists myopic about his own behavior and the politics of the nation he’s visiting. While that might have been Bolaño’s point, it doesn’t make for a riveting watch.