Rainha de Katwe

This film tells the story of a teenage girl from a Ugandan ghetto. She is discovered by a chess teacher to be brilliant in chess, and hence she embark on a journey on international chess championships to lift her out of the ghetto.

"Queen of Katwe" tells a story that inspires people across the socioeconomic spectrum. Phiona and her family struggles to make ends meet, and yet she does something that is not conventionally economically active. The hardship of living in a ghetto is well depicted in the film, especially in the eviction scene and the car accident scene. The story is touching, especially when it tells how Phiona is under pressure. I notice how they depict Phiona under pressure during a chess game, and the opponents looking confident by staring fiercely into Phiona. This adds dimension to the story.

Mira Nair previously focused on Uganda in 1991's "Mississippi Masala" (about an Indian family forced into exile by Idi Amin). "Queen of Katwe" is the true story of Phiona Mutesi, who started playing chess to get out of Kampala's slums. Katwe is the sort of place where you have to bribe people to do even minimal tasks. Lupita Nyong'o plays Phiona's mother, the sort of person who knows the slums all too well and isn't thrilled with her daughter's goal.

One of the most effective scenes is when the Katwe children compete against the students of King's College: the Katwe children wear the traditional Ugandan attire while the rich children wear western clothes, showing the disconnect between the social classes (a scene towards the end of "Mississippi Masala" showed something similar: when the father returns to Uganda, he looks westernized while the Ugandans wear the traditional clothes).

Admittedly, I don't know how accurate the movie is, especially since I had never heard of the story before the movie's release. Nonetheless, it's a powerful, uplifting story. The people involved in this movie deserve ample recognition for their contributions, and I hope that it draws more attention to Phiona Mutesi's achievements.

Here is another beautiful film by Mira Nair who made 'Monsoon Wedding'. The cinematography captures the true colors and life in a slum of Uganda, Africa. The characters were really believable and the acting was excellent. Madina Nalwanga's acting was very convincing and true to her heart. She understands how to portray her emotions in front of the camera. The children in the film were brilliant and all the cast gave good performances. Some scenes were heartbreaking and moving. Mira Nair directs her actors with great skill and confidence which is visible on the screen. Its really beautiful to experience another culture and I was very happy to experience Uganda. A big congrats to Mira Nair for a good film. I met Mira Nair few years ago when she came to San Francisco for a film premiere. She was very nice and sweet lady.

Queen of Katwe goes far beyond the usual cliché movie: underdog overcomes adversity to win championship. Here, wonderful actors depict real people struggling with the realities of their lives: single motherhood, overcoming poverty, feeling out of place, and the challenges of playing high level chess. Particularly compelling is the story of Phiona's mother who lost her husband and struggles to provide for four children by selling cooked maize in the market. The actress who portrays her depicts her strength, and also her limitations with integrity. A wonderful performance. Of course, Phiona's story as a chess prodigy from the slums of Katwe, Uganda is harrowing, inspiring and insightful. The movie doesn't settle for a trophy as the outcome, focusing on the impacts on Phiona and her family along the way. The story of Phiona's coach is as inspiring as her story. His sacrifices, his wife's sacrifices and his challenges providing for his family as he tries to help the children of Katwe is a movie unto itself. That's why the whole thing is so satisfying. It is an amazing story of real people, only lightly changed for film-making, well acted and compelling.

I can see why this type of film would be hard to market. It may not be as complex to appeal to an adult audience and it may also not appeal to kids of young ages. I feel like it could have made a splash at the Academy Awards had it been handled better with its release. As it is, it's a good film and pretty much everything that I expected. Its screenplay is good, if predictable, and the performances really elevate the story and make all of its more formulaic emotional beats work as well. Oyelowo and Nyong'o really bring a lot of heart to the story in the background while Nalwanga is able to carry the film. Definitely recommended, although it's probably not for all types of audiences.