To Be King

I saw the cast and crew movie screening this past weekend (06/04/11) and this movie is great! I did not read the initial script but I did work on bits and pieces of this film with Steve Rahaman. After seeing the final product, I was amazed by the quality of this film especially since it was done on a limited budget. Safia hit the nail on the head in her comment when she said "To Be King is more than just a boxing film". If you think this is your typical rags to riches movie, you're in for a surprise. SR manages to build the main characters so that you can feel the emotions they're going through and also creates a story that allows you to empathize with the character. Well timed comedy adds to this movie that already has drama and action. Job well done Mr. Rahaman.

"To Be King" is a highly entertaining drama that shows growth and maturity in Steve Rahaman as a budding indie filmmaker. After seeing what he can accomplish, if he keeps making films like this, I feel his career can go nowhere but up. I would say that it's an urban "Rocky" (as there are similarities in theme), but it's a completely different film. Hell, there's really not much boxing in it at all; it's all about the story, the people, and what happens when life gets tough. Steve showed that he can get the best out of actors, shots, and dialog when he puts his mind to it. About half the cast from "Blood Line" is back and, instead of it feeling like they were cast for roles, it feels as if the roles were created with them in mind… and it works so well. The main cast (Harvey, Merlino, Moss, LoDeon, Morales, Clohessy, and Goffin) handle their roles with a professional quality rarely seen in indie projects such as this. The story flows organically, with realistic dialog and situations, and the theme is strong enough to make its point without becoming too weighted. I have to say that I was very much entertained by "To Be King". I'm not saying it's a perfect movie; there are few films outside of Kubrick's library that are perfect to this reviewer. The major flaw I had with it is the score. While an excellent score on its own (much better than any score previously used by Rahaman), it still doesn't feel right at certain moments. I wouldn't say that it sours the movie at all, but that at points it becomes overwhelming when subtlety would suffice. My other nitpicks are purely minor faults that I just "would've done differently" and wouldn't be noticeable unless pointed out (an edit here, a shot there… purely inconsequential stuff). For an indie drama, "To Be King" has more potential to get Rahaman noticed than anything he's done prior. I would actually recommend this if it was playing at a local indie house as an example of what can be done when a filmmaker puts heart and soul into a project. Well done, Mr. Rahaman… now don't let it go to your head. From: http://moviereviewsunday.typepad.com

I was so fortunate to see a private screening of Steve Rahaman's latest film "To Be King." This film blew me away. It is so much more than a film about boxing. The story is inspiring and the characters are easy to relate to. Most beautiful is the relationship between Tyrone (Nigel Harvey) and Nya, his daughter. The other actors deliver wonderful performances. Mr. Rahaman, his cast and crew prove that even with a low budget, a wonderful film can be made. "To Be King" blends action and high tension with heartfelt moments. It is a great story of a man overcoming the obstacles in his life. I look forward to seeing and supporting upcoming work by Steve Rahaman.

I really enjoyed this movie. I thought it was going to be more for men since it was relating to boxing, however, it was so much more than that.

It was uplifting, inspirational, exciting and touched on the fact that when your back is against the wall and you have no where to run to that change is possible. Nigel Harvey was terrific as well as Frank Merlino and Rosie Moss.

I have the pleasure of knowing Steve Rahaman. He has worked extremely hard to get to this point in his career and it reflects in his work. He truly loves directing and acting he will continue to succeed. I wish you continued success and know you will go far.

From start to finish, this is a movie that grabs your attention and keeps you emotionally involved with the characters. The story telling was great and the acting were very convincing. I've seen this movie a few times already. One of the few independent films out there that had me coming back to watch again. Highly recommended.