Life of a King

Cuba Gooding is an ex-con looking to make amends to his kids for not being the father he should have been. He finds himself teaching troubled inner city kids chess in a bid to put something back to society whilst trying to regain the trust of his own alienated kids.

Life of a King is a small movie and has familiar themes that we have seen in many other inner city dramas. What sets this one apart and makes it a must watch is the standard of the acting and a script that doesn't waste a scene. Cuba Gooding Jr is hugely charismatic and excels in this. It's something of a surprise that he isn't a bigger star though maybe he just wants it that way. Whats more of a surprise though is the quality of the mainly unknown young actors in this who all do a fantastic job especially Malcolm M Mays, showing both realism and passion.

This is a mainly gritty tale but also wonderfully inspiring with an ending that pays off. It is almost impossible not to like Life of a King which is one of the best feel good movies I've seen. This film deserves a much higher profile.

"Life of a King" is a captivating film that excels in portraying the pillars of true history, hope, and change.

True History: The film is inspired by the remarkable true story of Eugene Brown, a former convict who found redemption through teaching chess to at-risk youth. The authenticity of his journey adds depth to the narrative, making it both inspiring and believable. Viewers can appreciate the film's commitment to staying faithful to this incredible real-life story.

Hope: "Life of a King" radiates with hope from start to finish. It vividly illustrates how chess, a simple board game, can become a symbol of hope and transformation. Eugene Brown's unwavering belief in the potential of the young people he mentors provides a powerful message that even in the most challenging circumstances, hope can flourish.

Change: The film beautifully captures the transformative power of education and mentorship. Eugene's efforts to teach chess serve as a catalyst for positive change in the lives of his students. As they learn to think strategically on the chessboard, they also learn valuable life lessons that empower them to break free from the cycle of crime and poverty.

In conclusion, "Life of a King" is a moving and authentic portrayal of true history, hope, and change. It reminds us that even in the darkest of situations, individuals and communities can find a path towards redemption and a brighter future.

While this may seem to most "yet another Chess movie," I assure you it is not. Life of a King is more closely related to the movie, "Fresh." These movies use the game to discuss the deeper challenges facing the most vulnerable population in America. They invite people who are disconnected from these issues to use the game as a portal of understanding. The story portrayed in Life of a King could have been told without any mention of the game of Chess. Mr. Brown's redemption is played out in urban neighborhoods every day. We could have exchanged the game of Chess with basketball, golf, tennis, football or any other tool used by a responsible motivated adult to mentor lost youth. Yet, America seems to be more receptive to and in need of a different perspective on black youth. Yes, these kids have brains, soul, heart and character. This is a movie which highlights all of the above. The Life of a King is anchored by an enduring hope in the goodwill and potential of children. When many have lost hope in this generation of children, portrayed by Cuba Gooding Jr., this movie is a needed reminder of what is missing; a champion for hope. No, this movie is not filled with the high intensity and hyper realism so popular today. And I am grateful for that. As a matter of fact, I was so grateful for the throwback 60's track that opens up the movie. It's a foreshadowing message that the answer to today's problem might not be something new. It might not require computers, or high stakes testing. It might not involve a "New School Transformation Model for Student Empowerment Through Advanced Study and Understanding with STEM." It might just involve men with passion getting involved with their neighborhood boys. It might just be a character development initiative. Maybe, it's just that simple.

Eugene Brown (Cuba Gooding Jr.) just got out of prison. His daughter Katrina doesn't want to deal with him and he's desperate to prove his worth to her. He gets a job as a janitor at an inner city D.C. school. The kids chase out the teacher monitoring detention and Sheila King (LisaGay Hamilton) puts Eugene in charge for a minute. He does such a great job that she puts him in charge permanently. He starts teaching them to play chess. The effort is opposed by drug lord Perry.

It's yet another 'teach inner city kids something different'. It takes a few different turns than the usual genre movie. The hurdles are a little different. Cuba is relatively good. The young kids are all great. Jake Goldberger's directing is not terribly inventive. It's more of a solid TV movie that is slightly better than the average movie in the genre.

After spending 17 years in prison "Eugene Brown" (Cuba Gooding Jr.) goes back to his home in Washington D.C. and tries to make an impact in the lives of young men and women who are forced to grow up under the same conditions as himself. Since he is an ex-convict he doesn't have many choices and so he decides to use chess as the means to get his message across as all too often the high school students react rather than think ahead or plan. One particularly bright student named "Tahime" (Malcolm M. Mays) becomes the focal point of Eugene's efforts as Tahime is at a definite crossroads in life due to a hopeless family situation, peer pressure and the lack of any substantive alternatives available to so many in the inner city. Now rather than reveal any more of this movie and risk spoiling it for those who haven't seen it I will just say that the director (Jake Goldberger) did a reasonable job in staying focused and presented the plight of young African-Americans trapped in poverty and despair with few recourses other than a life of crime and subsequent imprisonment. Although the performances of both Cuba Gooding Jr. and Malcolm M. Mays stood out I have to say that there were other unknown actors who performed quite solidly as well. In short, this was a pretty good movie and I rate it as above average.