Written by: William Wheeler
Starring: David Oyelowo, Lupita Nyong’o, Madina Nalwanga, Esteri Tebandeke, Peter Odeke
Rating: [3.5/5]
The neverending appeal of sports and various competitions arises in the meritocracy existent within them in the purest sense. It means anyone from any background could step in and compete with those who receive all of the advantages. In the end, it comes down to talent allowing for something like Queen of Katwe to carry so much power. Through its inspirational story and winning performances by this cast, this feature brings all of its heart forward to the success of the feature.
Struggling to find a bright future in her hometown in Uganda, Phiona (Madina Nalwanga) encounters the missionary work of Robert Katende (David Oyelowo), who teaches her how to play chess. After demonstrating her talent at the sport, she and her team of Ugandan kids travel to competitions to prove they can hang with anyone thus inspiring their entire town.
Based on a true story, this feature has all of the makings of something meant to inspire and it thoroughly succeeds in accomplishing that because of the establishment of these characters and the journey they must take on. Being a woman in Uganda with no financial safety net leaves Phinona with not many options in her life to do something she would consider outstanding except for when she learns the game of chess and displays her excellence within it. This sense of hope then continues to grow within her bringing faith and pushing her to her limits on how much she can handle, especially when beginning to compete.
A game of strategy becomes the path toward something of significance for her and this journey certainly inspires based on who she must compete with and how her underdog status makes others underestimate her ability. This happens in all stages but one of the more revealing ones occurs in her own country where she faces scrutiny from students from a more affluent background looking down on her and even wiping their hands after shaking hers to show the level of disregard they have for her. Quite infuriating to watch, which only makes it that much more satisfying when she schools them and proves what she can do.
The issues back at home do not necessarily disappear when she takes these trips to compete displaying the divide between her dream and the reality of her circumstances. She can see what life awaits her if she fails in her journey to become a grandmaster in the sport of chess. Phiona recognizes the impact of what her victory could signify for others that look like her, but more importantly the wellbeing of her family members where she could buy them a house and give them a life they could have never dreamed of. Certainly an unsustainable amount of pressure to put on the shoulders of a 10-year-old girl.
As much as chess involves one person taking on another, a beautiful camaraderie builds between Phiona and the other members of her group as they travel together as underdogs. Only they know of the circumstances they go back to and the support they create for each other surely will cause a tear or two to fall down the audience’s face because of the purity of it all. Something so wholesome and supportive makes the entire feature such a sweet affair overall and easily enjoyable, which certainly fits right in with director Mira Nair’s directorial style. While telling stories typically focused on the Asian population, she shifts over to Africa with the tale of Phiona the chess player. She does a great job displaying the stakes involved for the child, which makes every chess match she partakes in so riveting. Nair ensures these scenes get shot to continually build the tension of the match demonstrating the importance of each move and how it can build the path towards victory or demise.
Introducing a strong performance by the young Madina Nalwanga, Queen of Katwe succeeds in establishing a truly inspiring sports story. Aided by the direction of Mira Nair and supporting performances by Lupita Nyong’o and David Oyelowo helps round out a cast aiding to support Phiona and this journey of an underdog breaking all of the societal rules and beating everyone at their own game. This game thus becomes hers as seen through the way she plays against others who try to demean her making this title so apt for the story told.
Films with Josh 