Queen of Katwe (B+ or 3/4 stars)
'Queen of Katwe' (a Disney produced family 'sports' film directed by Mira Nair, The Namesake) is based on the true story of 10 yr. old international chess champion Phiona Mutesi (newcomer Madina Nalwanga). We 1st meet Phiona in 2007 as a young girl growing up in the slums of Katwe near Kampala, Uganda. Along with her 2 impressionable younger brothers, promiscuous older sister, & widowed mother, Nakku Harriet (Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong'o, of 12 years a Slave), Phiona fetches water & sells Maize to support her family. Harriet also becomes concerned when Phiona & little bro Brian start spending time with Robert Katende (David Oyelowo, MLK Jr. in Selma), a former soccer player and husband to Sarah (a lovely Esther Tebandeke).
While dreaming of getting hired as an engineer, he takes a job as a local sports ministry coach where he teaches children how to play ... chess. Phiona clashes with some of the kids, but quickly takes to the game & shows Robert that, despite her not knowing how to read or write (yet), she has a natural talent for the game. Robert pushes Phiona to get better; something that doesn't sit well with Harriet who sees no future in chess & believes that her daughter should, instead, be working. But as Phiona hones her innate skills as the yrs. breeze by, Robert convinces the initially reluctant Harriet to allow him to enter Phiona into a series of increasingly competitive tournaments, realizing that winning them could possibly get her & her family out of the slums.
This inspiring drama captures the hardship of living in a Ugandan slum, and yet, it also works as a feel-good Disney flick; the kind that have won-over children (and their parents) for over 70 yrs.
Young Madina Nalwanga is subtle, but powerful as Phiona, our plain, open-faced heroine who owns her talent, yet learns quickly how difficult it still would be to rise above her dire circumstances. She's a strong, smart, beautiful girl whose infrequent smiles hide a wellspring of emotion beneath her facade. 'QoK' is a film about chess, but it's also about struggle, & the messages it's trying to imbue are not subtle: in trying to achieve something great, love & support from family is needed along with perseverance. To that end, Lupita Nyong'o is superb as the young mother, Nakku Harriet. With a dead husband & 4 children to raise, she's shown to be strict but loving; doing the best she can to keep her family disciplined, fed, & sheltered -- all while keeping her own dignity.
And David Oyelowo is wonderful as the doting chess coach -- fighting hard to get funding/opportunities -- while at the same time feeling a heavy responsibility to provide for his own family {loved the relationship btwn. he & his wife, Sarah ... cue the waterworks & tissues}. Director Nair doesn't sentimentalize the hardships of being poor in Uganda (several dangers & terrifying moments cross the screen). Having said that, there is a too-familiar, tried-&-true formula in place, here: the standard, predictable course of a coach; the uplifting ascension of a talented youth achieving their goal, etc.. The film is obviously well-meaning, but its 2 hour running time allows for some too genteel stretches in the middle which dragged the experience down a tad for me (it ebbed & flowed). To connect with younger audiences, perhaps a tighter/shorter running time would have sufficed.
But I'm nitpicking. 'Queen of Katwe' offers a mostly engaging, satisfying film experience. Chess is not the most exciting game/sport to watch, but the filmmakers do a terrific job making it as engaging as it could possibly be. I credit the actor's faces, some astute editing, & the nerve-rattling music cues which made those chess sequences pop. It afforded me a glimpse into someone else's world that I never really saw before. I loved seeing the real-life people standing next to the actors portraying them in the closing credits. The film's themes of humility, integrity, & teamwork ring true. And it's important to showcase an empowered female protagonist who uses brains over brawn to inspire children from all walks of life to overcome their own situation, whatever that might be.
While dreaming of getting hired as an engineer, he takes a job as a local sports ministry coach where he teaches children how to play ... chess. Phiona clashes with some of the kids, but quickly takes to the game & shows Robert that, despite her not knowing how to read or write (yet), she has a natural talent for the game. Robert pushes Phiona to get better; something that doesn't sit well with Harriet who sees no future in chess & believes that her daughter should, instead, be working. But as Phiona hones her innate skills as the yrs. breeze by, Robert convinces the initially reluctant Harriet to allow him to enter Phiona into a series of increasingly competitive tournaments, realizing that winning them could possibly get her & her family out of the slums.
This inspiring drama captures the hardship of living in a Ugandan slum, and yet, it also works as a feel-good Disney flick; the kind that have won-over children (and their parents) for over 70 yrs.
Young Madina Nalwanga is subtle, but powerful as Phiona, our plain, open-faced heroine who owns her talent, yet learns quickly how difficult it still would be to rise above her dire circumstances. She's a strong, smart, beautiful girl whose infrequent smiles hide a wellspring of emotion beneath her facade. 'QoK' is a film about chess, but it's also about struggle, & the messages it's trying to imbue are not subtle: in trying to achieve something great, love & support from family is needed along with perseverance. To that end, Lupita Nyong'o is superb as the young mother, Nakku Harriet. With a dead husband & 4 children to raise, she's shown to be strict but loving; doing the best she can to keep her family disciplined, fed, & sheltered -- all while keeping her own dignity.
And David Oyelowo is wonderful as the doting chess coach -- fighting hard to get funding/opportunities -- while at the same time feeling a heavy responsibility to provide for his own family {loved the relationship btwn. he & his wife, Sarah ... cue the waterworks & tissues}. Director Nair doesn't sentimentalize the hardships of being poor in Uganda (several dangers & terrifying moments cross the screen). Having said that, there is a too-familiar, tried-&-true formula in place, here: the standard, predictable course of a coach; the uplifting ascension of a talented youth achieving their goal, etc.. The film is obviously well-meaning, but its 2 hour running time allows for some too genteel stretches in the middle which dragged the experience down a tad for me (it ebbed & flowed). To connect with younger audiences, perhaps a tighter/shorter running time would have sufficed.
But I'm nitpicking. 'Queen of Katwe' offers a mostly engaging, satisfying film experience. Chess is not the most exciting game/sport to watch, but the filmmakers do a terrific job making it as engaging as it could possibly be. I credit the actor's faces, some astute editing, & the nerve-rattling music cues which made those chess sequences pop. It afforded me a glimpse into someone else's world that I never really saw before. I loved seeing the real-life people standing next to the actors portraying them in the closing credits. The film's themes of humility, integrity, & teamwork ring true. And it's important to showcase an empowered female protagonist who uses brains over brawn to inspire children from all walks of life to overcome their own situation, whatever that might be.