Starring
Madina Nalwanga, David Oyelowo, Lupita Nyong'o, Martin Kabanza, Taryn
Kyaze, Ronald Ssemaganda. Directed by Mira Nair. (2016, 124 min).
The
Disney name is so synonymous with animation that we tend to forget
they've also have quite the knack for inspirational sports movies.
Sure, most are so formulaic that you're familiar with the plot
without even seeing them, but who doesn't love an earnest,
old-fashioned sports flick where the underdog triumphs against all
odds?
Disney
may not have written the playbook, but they know it cover-to-cover
and follow it rigidly. And why not, since they arguably do this
stuff better than anybody? I'd actually be disappointed if Queen
of Katwe wasn't more-or-less the same movie as
Invincible, McFarland USA or The Greatest Game Ever
Played. For the same reason I still listen to Slayer, in the
right hands, this stuff never gets old.
As
such, Queen of Katwe - based on a true story, of course -
doesn't disappoint. Young Phiona Mutesi (Madina Nalwanga) comes
from a family whose life in Katwe, an impoverished region of Uganda,
is a daily struggle to survive. Her mother, Nakku (Lupita Nyong'o) is
widowed and depends on her children to help sell corn in town. Then
after discovering a group of kids who meet everyday to play chess under the
tutelage of coach Robert Katende (David Oyelowo), she turns out to be
something of a prodigy.
 |
| "No, Phiona...that's not a 'horsey'." |
Katende
sacrifices his own personal goals to encourage Phiona and
these kids to excel at the game, which may be their only opportunity
to earn an education and escape slum life. Phiona, in particular, has
a phenomenal gift for strategy, winning tournament after tournament,
becoming a local hero and earning the respect of the international
chess community.
Depending
on how you perceive chess, Queen of Katwe may not be a sports
movie per se, but it's identically structured. Besides, like
most of Disney's similar films, Queen of Katwe is less about
the actual game than it is learning enough about oneself to overcome
personal and external roadblocks. This is also Katende's story as
much as Phiona's, forsaking a lucrative engineering career for the
sake of giving hope to kids who aren't even his.
Movies
like this depend largely on its characters and performances for the
formula to work. Newcomer Nalwanga shines as Phiona, displaying a
low-key charm that renders her instantly likable, even during moments
of arrogance and overconfidence which alienate her family and
threaten to take her down a peg or two. But these moments of conflict
are few and far between, as are those which disrupt Katende's
homelife. For the most part, Queen of Katwe is content to
briefly touch upon such complications before rushing off the the next
feel-good moment, which is why we watch these things in the first
place. You'll see the final scene coming from a mile away (maybe two
or three), but it's still no less heartwarming.
At
a little over two hours, Queen of Katwe probably
runs a little longer than necessary, especially for a film that
strictly adheres to a playbook we're already familiar with. But
its many uplifting moments and emotional payoffs make it easy to
endure a few of the slower stretches. This relatively obscure true story lends itself perfectly to the Disney treatment, making the
film an agreeable, audience pleaser.
EXTRA
KIBBLES:
FEATURETTES:
"Queen
of Katwe: Their Story" (3 part making-of documentary);
"A
Fork, A Spoon & a Knight" (short film about coach Robert
Katende's life and upbringing);
"In
the Sudio with Alicia Keys"
AUDIO
COMMENTARY (by director Mira Nair)
DELETED
SCENES
MUSIC
VIDEOS: "Back to Life," by Alicia Keys; "#1 Spice,"
by Young Cardamom & HAB
DIGITAL
COPY
KITTY CONSENSUS:
PURR-R-R...LIKE A GOOD SCRATCH BEHIND THE EARS
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