Monday, October 3, 2016

Queen of Katwe

Saturday night I went to see Queen of Katwe, a heart-warming true story about a young girl's determination to succeed against all odds.  Phiona Mutesi (Medina Nalwanga) is a young girl living in Katwe, a slum of Kampala, Uganda.  Instead of going to school, she gets up early every morning to get water and spends the rest of the day selling vegetables on the street to support her family.  Robert Katende (David Oyelowo) has a degree in engineering (with the highest marks) but he can't get a job in that field because he also grew up in the slums and has no family connections.  He takes a job as a counselor in a sports outreach ministry and begins teaching a chess class.  Phiona watches from afar until Robert invites her in and she immediately impresses him with her ability despite the fact that she can barely read.  He decides to take some of the children to a prestigious chess tournament.  Phiona's mother (Lupita Nyong'o) wants a better life for her daughter but is wary because she needs Phiona to help support the family and doesn't want her to get "ideas."  Phiona is eventually allowed to go and begins winning at other tournaments but she is beset by one tragedy after another.  She decides to become a Grand Master so that she won't have to live like her mother any more.  I found Phiona's story to be incredibly moving (I cried just watching the previews).  It is a bit cliched, but Nalwanga, Oyelowo, and Nyong'o give a highly affecting performances, especially Nalwanga as the young prodigy.  The chess tournament scenes, believe it or not, are incredibly entataining, particularly when one of the children struts around the chess boards after winning.  It is a stand-up-and-cheer movie and I highly recommend it to anyone who needs something to cheer for.

Note:  My favorite part of the movie is during the closing credits when the actor and the real person portrayed interact with each other.  Ethan Nazario Lubega was so much fun to watch as Benjamin, one of the other chess players in the program, because he is so cheeky.  The real Benjamin is just as cheeky!

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