Queen Of Katwe
Starring Lupita Nyong’o, Madina Nalwanga, David Oyelowo,
Directed by Mira Nair
Rating: **** ½
There she is, the maze-selling girl from the slums of Africa who becomes a chess champ, thanks to the indefatigable encouragement and support of her upright coach.
We’ve seen this story in countless motivational films including the recent grossly underrated Budhia Singh Born To Run. Well, if littleBudhia could run the marathon, wise and thoughtful Phiona is no less wedded to her own gamely bliss. Chess, as it happens to be. Her story is told here with a crackling transparency and a disarming sincerity verging on didacticism.
The poetry, if you will, pores out of the prosaic. The desperate rhythms of poverty are almost identical in every culture. Queen Of Katwe could be a story waiting to be told from the slum of Dharavi. No matter what the definition of poverty and squalor...
Starring Lupita Nyong’o, Madina Nalwanga, David Oyelowo,
Directed by Mira Nair
Rating: **** ½
There she is, the maze-selling girl from the slums of Africa who becomes a chess champ, thanks to the indefatigable encouragement and support of her upright coach.
We’ve seen this story in countless motivational films including the recent grossly underrated Budhia Singh Born To Run. Well, if littleBudhia could run the marathon, wise and thoughtful Phiona is no less wedded to her own gamely bliss. Chess, as it happens to be. Her story is told here with a crackling transparency and a disarming sincerity verging on didacticism.
The poetry, if you will, pores out of the prosaic. The desperate rhythms of poverty are almost identical in every culture. Queen Of Katwe could be a story waiting to be told from the slum of Dharavi. No matter what the definition of poverty and squalor...
- 10/9/2016
- by Subhash K Jha
- Bollyspice
Queen Of Katwe is a Million Dollar Arm clone by way of chess and David Oyelowo instead of baseball and Jon Hamm, right down to similar strengths and weaknesses. Both films tell of underprivileged children being given the opportunity of a lifetime thanks to the salvation of competition, guided by the dedication of an influential mentor/coach. Disney proves once again that no one finds young talent like they do (Madina Nalwanga), storytelling beats walk a predictable path and our hearts are warmed. It doesn’t get better than a sunny true story, and director Mira Nair plans her moves with enough strategy so as not to waste Phiona Mutesi’s championship rise. It’s surely not the rawest, most provocative human tale, but a sweet coming-of-age survival story nonetheless.
It’s debut actress Madina Nalwanga who plays Uganda’s most unlikely chess champion, Katwe’s own Phiona Mutesi. Not...
It’s debut actress Madina Nalwanga who plays Uganda’s most unlikely chess champion, Katwe’s own Phiona Mutesi. Not...
- 9/22/2016
- by Matt Donato
- We Got This Covered
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.