[yasr_overall_rating]
An Ugandan girl sees her world rapidly change after being introduced to the game of chess.
“Queen Of Katwe” is the inspirational true story of Phiona (Madina Nalwanga), a girl from a low-income family in Uganda, who learns to improve her family’s situation by becoming a master chess player. Phiona’s life is a hard story to tell and yet Mira Nair, also a Uganda resident, managed to recreate the life of this incredible family authentically. Every character in this story is memorable as members of the vast diversity of people who help to mold Phiona and change her town. Without over-dramatizing the details, I was fully immersed into a culture I would otherwise be unable to visit.
Bright colors splash across the scene as Phiona, her mother Harriet (Lupita Nyong’o), her sister Night, and brothers Richard and Brian are introduced in a small one room apartment. Fabrics, food, and people litter the streets and ramshackle homes show the depth of poverty to which this family is accustomed. School children in uniforms dance across the stage as Phiona and her siblings go out into the streets to sell enough maize so their mother can feed them each night. Not far away, Robert (David Oyelowo), who is just above the poverty line himself, accepts a job in ministry to fulfill his calling in life of teaching children. He quickly assembles enough hungry children to teach the powerful game chess. Brian and Fiona stumble across the sanctuary where the children learn and receive supplementary meals, but the real sustenance is Coach Robert who believes in them and their ability to change their lives.
Before long, Phiona’s chess skills become evident against the local children in the sanctuary along with several other skilled children. Coach Robert fights hard to ensure his group of under-privileged children receives the opportunity to compete against a nearby school despite the financial burden of finding the entrance fees. Unwilling to stress the children or their families for money they cannot provide, he locates the funds with his ever-supportive wife. Robert understands what an exceptional gift Phiona has in her ability to see several moves ahead in chess and focuses on coaching her to reach her true potential. Harriet, Phiona’s mother, wants her children to have the opportunities she never had available while also keeping her children grounded. Ultimately, she wants to give them more but needs them there to help support the family. She sacrifices mentally and physically throughout the film to allow her children this once in a lifetime opportunity.
Before long Roberts haunted past explains his deep-seated need to impact the world and create a better tomorrow for his country. Daily problems prevent Phiona and her brother Brian from focussing solely on their game as life throws them into homelessness, a sister who finds herself with the wrong guy, and a flood tearing apart what few possessions they own. As the years pass starting in 2007 all the way to 2012 Phiona has success and failure at professional tournaments as she battles life and the inability to accept her own remarkableness. With life already more complicated than a child should have to bear, she finds herself overwhelmed and is unable to keep her head in the game. Between the powerful guidance of a strong mother, community and coach Phiona finds the self-determination to find she is someone of worth. She does not let failure keep her down when an arsenal of support is continuously available despite each person’s hardships. After several years Phiona reaches for her goal to be a master chess player to enable herself and her family to reach for a higher lifestyle and to maintain hope for her community.
The overpowering elements of this film are community, strength, and hope. For a community still rebuilding from war and constant impoverished conditions to find even a thread of hope to hang onto, can be a constant struggle. This beautifully choreographed story shows how one person can bring hope to not just an entire community, which would be a feat in its self, but to a whole country. To see such a strong connection between people in a small town who are willing to sacrifice for each other, despite harsh life situations, shows love is the most important aspect of life. With continuing prayers of faith this community shows how to work together for the good of all. This is not just a film to watch for an enjoyable two hours, but a movie to change how people think of themselves and each other. There are many stories of someone coming from nothing to achieve greatness, what is unique about this story is the characters who are charming, funny, and have a sense of love others can only dream of attaining.
Words of wisdom overwhelmed me throughout the showing. This is a movie that should be learned verbatim for the message to be able to sink in daily. The underlying plot is the age old caste system which knows no bounds in disrupting everyone’s life. To see that even in under-developed countries a caste system is in effect should help to encourage children around the world to find their own strength when the world seems determined to keep them down. The stunning cast of this brilliant film breathe life to this incredible story which is worth the watch for everyone of all ages.
In theaters Friday, September 30th
