Movie review: Queen of Katwe: a moving tale of hope and perseverence

QUEEN OF KATWE (2016)

“In chess, the small one can become the big one. That’s why I like it.”

Directed by the talented Mira Nair famous for "The Namesake", "Salaam Bombay!" and "Monsoon Wedding", "Queen of Katwe" is a moving tale of how hard work and determination can literally bring a person from lives of struggle to life of glory. Just Like the  Phenomenon called "Promoting"  in the game of Chess, in which the Pawn, if it can reach to the last row of the opposite side of the board can be promoted to the rank of Queen. Phiona Mutesi, who calls this manoeuvre "Queening" is in full rights to attain this honour.

The film features the story of a 10 year girl living in the slums of Katwe, Kampala, Uganda, who while selling Maize on the streets to support her family starts taking an interest in chess, and with her guide Robert Katende's strong determination beats all odds to become the youngest international chess champion from Uganda.

The film opens with the hesitating feet of young Phiona entering the tournament, asking her coach will she be able to do it or not. Its the first scene, that will make you contend that this going to be a very fine work of art.

Very strong performance by the newcomer Madina Nalwanga as the protagonist. Madina, totaly captures your attention portraying Phiona. With her hesitating, humble ways, to the innocence dripping from her eyes, she totally lives up the character of a brilliant chess player fighting against the world to achieve the success she deserves.

David Oyelowo playing her mentor Robert Katende is a very fine actor. He has already proved his worth  in the role of Martin Luther King Jr in  "Selma" (2014)

Lupita Nyong'o, playing the mother of Phiona has done her  best performance in playing the roel of a hardworking single mother, who would go any lengths to protect and provide for her family.  You would remember her playing Patsey in "12 Years a Slave", and Raksha in The Jungle Book (2016)

Mira Nair has a mastery in weaving her characters with the finesse of a Patola worker. Bringing out the most intricate emotions with the simplest materials of dialogues. The good thing about the movie is that it is not pretentious. From the start you know what is going to happen next. I mean, if you are looking for a drama film full of twists and turns, then this might not be your cup of  tea. The plot here is the all the same known to mankind since the evolution of the art of storytelling. Poor, underprivileged person, working hard to achieve a dream, fighting all the hardships life can offer, in the end winning against all the odds. There is nothing new in the story.

But the beauty lies in the journey, not the destination my friend! The beauty of this film lies in the way the story is opened, the characters introduced one by one, and the way the setting of a ghetto of a third world country is portrayed in all its full colors.

For cinematography, Sean Bobbitt deserves an Oscar! The way the hardship of the ghettos have been portrayed so beautifully is not less of a masterstroke. The colors of otherwise unwealthy surroundings have so very well been pictured. The slum here is full of overflowing gutters and muck and shacks made up of tattered wood and plastic. But it is also colorful, it is alive. It is not grey, it is bustling with the shades of red and yellow and orange.... The colors of spring.

The costumes have their very own story to tell. The dirty dress Phiona was wearing when kids yelled "Pig!" at her, to the one gaudy dress Harriet puts on to sell to the greedy cloth merchant who is having his eyes on this still young widow.

The story of Phiona is not just all Goody Goody tale only. It also shows the weak side of Phiona when soon after winning a game she stops following her mother's commands, and does not help in the household chores. It shows how easy it is to be carried away from the reality by  a small success.

The film gives a very important message, that no matter how hard your life is, how poor you are, if you work hard, then no one can stop you from being the Queen that you deserve to be.

You can imagine how great this movie is by the rating on Rotten Tomatoes giving it a 91% on its Tomatometer.

Real life Phiona Mutesi

Cast
Lupita Nyong'o as Nakku Harriet
David Oyelowo as Robert Katende
Madina Nalwanga as Phiona Mutesi
Director
Mira Nair
Writer
William Wheeler
Writer (based on the ESPN Magazine article and book by)
Tim Crothers
Cinematographer
Sean Bobbitt

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Phiona Mutesi on Wikipedia