To Be King

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.

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.

Far more then just a good boxing story. The personal relationships with family, friends and others played out with emotion and determination was well directed. The struggle of Tyrone King in his professional and personal life is well played by Nigel Harvey. The cast brought the movie to life with their in-depth performances. A boxing movie with a PG-13 rating that brought you into the boxing world was very well produced . Though this film is not a Hollywood product, but it is right up there with them. Another fine film by Steve Rahaman. I can not wait to see what he has up his sleeve for his next film.Just a fantastic family movie! I highly recommend this movie!

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.

I really liked this film a lot. I liked the characters, and the way they were balanced and believable human beings. No black hats and white hats here - well, maybe the one. But the lead is so down to earth and lacking righteousness - though his path be righteous - that he is endearing rather than superior. Even the villain has his moment of genuine and touching humanity. There is no axe to grind or agenda here; just a simple story, a sort of cross between Cindarella Man and Rocky, very well acted and directed. Kudos to Steve Rahaman, he pulls off an ambitious movie on a shoestring and keeps you with him all the way. If I had one reservation it would be that there are a few too many hugs in the film - not because I don't buy it, I do - but it leaves the audience out of the circle of warmth a bit, rather than pulling us in as it might better do if it were not quite so easy for the characters to embrace. A very effective scene for example, when King thanks his Ex and an awkward embrace happens between them - not literally, but in a manner soft and sad and really very moving. There are a lot of lovely moments here, all in all. Bravo all 'round!