One girl’s triumph over a popular board game has her fighting to change the perception of her country, one move at a time. In “Queen of Katwe”, For 10-year-old Phiona Mutesi (Madina Nalwanga) and her family, life in the impoverished slum of Katwe in Kampala, Uganda, is a constant struggle. When Phiona meets Robert Katende (David Oyelowo), a soccer player turned missionary who teaches local children chess, she is captivated. Chess requires a good deal of concentration, strategic thinking and risk taking, all skills which are applicable in everyday life, and Katende hopes to empower youth with the game. Phiona is impressed by the intelligence and wit the game requires and immediately shows potential. Recognizing Phiona’s natural aptitude for chess and the fighting spirit she’s inherited from her mother, Katende begins to mentor her, but Harriet, Phiona’s Mother (Lupita Nyong’o) is reluctant to provide any encouragement, not wanting to see her daughter disappointed. As Phiona begins to succeed in local chess competitions, she quickly advances through the ranks in tournaments, but breaks away from her family to focus on her own life. “Queen of Katwe” is directed by Mira Nair, and is rated PG for thematic elements, an accident scene and some suggestive material.

There was a time when Disney live action movies weren’t painted with the same embarrassing cliches and directions that they are today. Films like “Cool Runnings” and “Miracle” earned the kind of noteworthy praise from critics that carried over to older and younger audiences alike. Mira Nair seems like a director who has certainly done her homework on her subject, and as a result, “Queen of Katwe” is the most inspiring story of 2016. Nair certainly knows what to focus the audience’s attention on, juggling an entertaining counterbalance between this girl’s life on and off the chess board. It’s really in the hands of the audience to decide which story is at the forefront and which one is the subplot for the movie, but I took this as a miracles tale about the quality of life in a poor country that just happens to cross paths with the chess world. To play those two story aspects equally in time grants this movie the kind of sound pacing over two hours of run time that perfectly transforms everything that we had hoped or expected this movie to be. What I got was a sound surprise for an early fall favorite.

For a Disney movie, Nair and screenwriter William Wheeler certainly don’t shy away from the darker aspects of this story that makes it relatable and compelling. Phiona’s story is one of great anxiety and torture for where she lives and respectively her quality of lifestyle, and that’s always a hard thing to communicate to an audience known to be sugar coated by this studio. It takes great bravery not only for Disney, but for Nair as well to take a chance on such a story that not only is tough to translate to a PG rating, but a story that doesn’t have the greatest level of intrigue for someone outside of these two worlds. I was genuinely fascinated between two branches of storytelling that isn’t always easy to make entertaining. As a chess player myself, I tend to be drawn to these kind of movies, but what impresses me about the stance taken here is how chess is relayed as a metaphor for power to the audience watching. This really is a game of war and power that comes from these tiny pieces on the board, and it’s in that aspect where Wheeler crafts a world within a world led by one enjoyable protagonist. With the Uganda setting, I indulged in the cultures and the traumas that every family and child go through on a daily basis. This really is a movie that shows you what a blessing it is to have what we have, and it does that without ever feeling preachy or condemning. Over the course of the movie, you really begin to accept just how difficult it is for these kids to ever follow a dream when everyone has already written them off for their social standing. That’s an aspect in tone that makes the characters and their acting counterparts one of great enjoyment.

This well rounded cast brings out the best in every character they portray. Oscar winner Nyong’o transcends the supporting actress stereotype in these movies by bringing a real positive female role for the audience to admire. What I loved about her character is how stern, yet loving she comes across to her children, hoping they will avoid the same mistakes that she made early on in her life. Lupita is an actress who thrives on any stage, but her commanding presence as Nakku grounds this story in harrowing reality that never disappoints. Madina Nalwanga also gives an irresistibly warrior-like introduction to what she brings to the table. This girl’s reserved personality makes her triumph that much more magnetic when we finally do see her enjoy her winner’s ecstasy. I found myself unabashedly rooting her on during every match, and that’s a difficult thing for a movie to do for a 31 year-old-man. The reasoning behind such a talent goes to Nalwanga who relates the very spirit of what it means to be a kid who takes nothing for granted. Leaps and bounds for me however, was David Oyelowo, who covers this movie in a blanket of tender care for the children he believes in. Sadly, most of these kids are seen without a father figure in the movie, but David’s Robert is the difference for many lives that rely on his teaching and guidance. Oyelowo himself is quickly becoming a versatile actor in the many characters he has embraced, but what stands this role out above the rest is the interaction between he and the kids who look up to him as a god without being arrogant. He serves as kind of a co-narrator of sorts for the movie’s on-going plot, so we understand every movement that goes into him opening up a new world for those who waived goodbye to optimism a long time ago. David’s personality comes out on more than one occasion, and it’s certainly easy to understand what a project like this means to him.

As far as the technical aspects go, the movie has some hits and misses. The cinematography here is gorgeous, displaying some mesmerizing shots of Uganda and the surrounding countries that the children visit. Some of the problems that I noticed about the movie didn’t hinder its grade too much, but there are some more-than noticeable negatives. First of all the voice editing or ADR is very lagging for the movie. You can definitely tell that the actors had to edit in some audio takes after filming was wrapped up, as a lot of the mouth movements simply don’t add up to the vocal ranges that come out of some of these shouting or crying scenes. This created some minor distractions as the movie continued, and something that simple should definitely be fixed in post production. The first act also feels slightly rushed due to some rapid editing. Scenes feel like they are cut a little too quickly, cutting off long-winded dialogue that you can tell is coming from the facial movements of the cast. Thankfully, this problem fixed itself by the halfway point of the movie. I can only imagine how much was left on the cutting room floor because of it.

Nair and her ensemble cast flourish with an underdog story that never feels artificial or manipulative by a studio known for such a direction. “Queen of Katwe” commands great originality in its story that serves as a shot to the heart of anyone fortunate enough to take it in. An inspiring feature that never overstays its welcome. Disney has a new queen of the castle, and her name is Phiona Mutesi.

9/10