Queen of Katwe (2016)

To me, this movie is perfection.

Simply A Masterpiece

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

The acting in this movie is really good.

I am not a big fan of Mira Nair. But I like some of her films, particularly 'Amelia'. Because she usually prefers India and Indian subjects and cast as what she's. Outside that circle, she was not that successful, until now. It was a sport film, that revolved around chess game. Inspired by an incredible true story from the dark continent. It all happened less than ten years ago. Disney and ESPN together produced it. So when these two productions come together, you would know what to expect.Seeing the opening few minutes, it reminded me the recent New Zealand film 'The Dark Horse'. Kind of a similar film, but I was not that impressed with that. But this one was awesome. Simply a miracle. Like any fairy-tale from the Disney. She was not a princess, but in a way she turns to be one. Years ago when I reviewed 'Searching for Bobby Fischer', I said that was the film should be shown in the schools. Now add this title as well to the list.The opening was the ending. Then followed the flashback, which went to the 4 years ago. Living in a slum of Katwe, a single mother raising her children, but not without their contribution to the family. Now the focus shifts to one of the family members, Phiona. Curiosity on her brother who disappears every day after sold out his goods leads her to a new path. That's when she discovers a game she had never heard of before. After learning the basics, she quickly picks up the rest of the game on her own and becomes a prodigy.❝Losing teaches me how to play better.❞This is like most of the true stories you have seen, but that's the truth as well in here. What might come later could impress you. Because it was not like she has a superpower, so she can clear her life path just like that. Honestly, the real test begins now for her, how she uses her gift. But it was her coach who understood the situation, and tried his best to push her further with the big tournaments, in the national and the international level. Not just her, there has been a team behind her. So the remaining is to reveal how far she would go, as well as the story of her struggling family.They have got the cast perfectly. Everyone was brilliant. David Oyelowo was amazing, surely one of my favourite British actors for now. This is the second consecutive time he's making a such impression. Not long ago with 'A United Kingdom'. Definitely the Oscars is just a corner. And then Lupita Nyong'o, she was not the centre of the story, but had enough part and she excelled every bit of it. The rest of the actors, including the one who played Phiona was amazing. At the end credit, both the cinematic and the real life characters appeared. I felt that was a result of excitement, but liked it.The sad part was why such films were ignored at the big stages! This is a must see film, especially if you have a kid(s) in the home, show it to them. Being the parents, uncle and aunt, that's one of the best thing you would do for them. Because no one knows when and where kids gets their confidence boost, inspiration or discovering a new path. You can't compare films with real life, even it was a biopic. But still the true story always remains a true story, even after they're compressed to 120 minutes. Particularly the Disney film gets rid of harsh parts, making a family friendly film. So watch it for a change, you have no other reasons, you could be impressed!8/10

This movie was absolutely astonishing. I loved this movie it makes a stand for not only women, but black people as well. It shows that we can be intellectuals and champion's. I like how the movie shows the young character who was a great actress started from the slums but fought her way to a better life style even after losing her home. This movie made me emotional and wish I had their type of discipline and understand their struggles. I think this movie was great and everyone should have saw this movie.

Movie is done really well. The sets, most of the music, character development, is all good. The only main issue I had with the film was that at about 4-5 different instances in the film, it seemed there was a loss of time or not enough of an explanation of what happened in-between the 2 transitioning scenes. It is able to be assumed or pieced together, but I think a film like this should make sure those scenes join together a lot better than it is. As far as the music, I only had a problem with the music played right at the starting. I thought it should of been more like the African instrumental music that is played later in the film, and not popish.

An inspiring story of a slum girl who, with coaching, is able to bring out the chess genius in her. Given the opportunity, talents can arise in anyone. The depiction of slums in this film didn't leave much to the imagination. It showed very harsh living conditions and was very realistic. The cast mainly consists of youth, and though their inexperience does show, their portrayals are well done. For her first film, Nalwanga does a good job at displaying tenacity and innocence. Her expressions are natural and she has good chemistry with the other actors and actresses. As a biographical movie, the kids in this film added a sort of purity that helped the movie have a sense of reality. Nyong'o as the mother, and Oyelowo as the coach, also did well at displaying passionate emotions.Location and scene settings help to anchor the story and create the small town feel. The atmosphere that the cinematography brought out was one that was very natural, with slow pans and long shots. Not only does this film tell an inspiring story, it gives a cultural education, shedding some light on slum life in Uganda. The customs of the culture and the way the people express themselves are a great fun to watch. As well, the screenplay did a good job in incorporating the difficulties of a small town girl competing in the big world, as well as displaying cultural sensitivities. Although some scenes are just slow in developing, and some issues seem to be repetitive, this film is overall, is a great portrayal of an inspiring story.