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Oscar winner Lupita Nyong'o and newcomer Madina Nalwanga in Disney's Queen of Katwe, the vibrant true story of a young girl from the streets of rural Uganda whose world rapidly changes when she is introduced to the game of chess. The powerful film, which also stars David Oyelowo and is directed by Mira Nair, will be released in U.S. theaters in September.
Edward Echwalu / AP
Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o and newcomer Madina Nalwanga in Disney’s Queen of Katwe, the vibrant true story of a young girl from the streets of rural Uganda whose world rapidly changes when she is introduced to the game of chess. The powerful film, which also stars David Oyelowo and is directed by Mira Nair, will be released in U.S. theaters in September.
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For a glorified board game for pretentious people (no, you’re bitter), chess is featured in a lot of movies. Perhaps it’s because something about it is reminiscent of a sport, and a movie about a chess prodigy can have the same tone as a good sports movie. “Queen of Katwe” has that tone, but folded in is an emotional, complex portrait of life in slums of Uganda, making this story more than the simple formula it could have stuck to.

What happens?

Phiona (Madina Nalwanga) is a young girl living with her widowed mother, Harriet (Lupita Nyong’o), and three siblings in rural Kampala, Uganda. She and her brother can’t afford to go to school but sell maize every day to help Harriet make ends meet. Missionary Robert Katende (David Oyelowo) begins teaching local children how to play chess, and Phiona has a knack for it. She quickly sets herself apart and begins winning national and international tournaments, but tempering her big dreams is the reality of her family’s struggles.

What’s good?

Nyong’o and Oyelowo are both captivating onscreen, and newcomer Nalwanga holds her own. Nyong’o breathes life into Harriet, and director Mira Nair is smart enough to make her the heart of the story. Though Phiona seeks to better her life through chess, the story is made more affecting by mixing in the hardship of her family life and the battle her mother feels between encouraging Phiona’s talent and lowering her expectations.

The movie was actually filmed in Katwe, and Nair’s camera is always moving, intent on capturing both the vibrancy and the somberness of the setting. Gorgeous shots of the Katwe children taking in a prestigious school or sleeping together on the floor instead of in provided beds gently tug at heartstrings without feeling manipulative.

What’s bad?

Occasionally, “Queen of Katwe” seems confused on its own ideologies. When Phiona develops arrogance and feels too good to help her mother, the film instead suggests that Harriet should work harder to support her daughter. Coach Katende is always telling the kids they can do more and chases after an engineering dream, but when it’s offered to him, he feels it’s more important to keep his part-time coaching job. The film never addresses these discrepancies but expects them to roll naturally into the story.

Final verdict

A sweet film that sticks to a tried-and-true formula and still manages to inspire.

3 stars (out of four)

@lchval | laurenchval@redeyechicago.com