Queen of Katwe – movie review

Based on fact, Queen of Katwe is a colourful, feel-good picture about struggle and persistence. It concerns a family, and one girl in particular, overcoming a hand-to-mouth existence in the slums of Uganda.

For nine-year-old Phiona Mutesi (Madina Nalwanga), life is a constant battle. She spends her days selling vegetables on the streets of Katwe, one of the most poverty-stricken shantytowns in Kampala, so school is not an option. Her single mother, Harriet (Lupita Nyong’o), is a proud and strong-willed woman who works hard to support her family. While she loves and protects her children with a fierce compassion, she is consumed by the daily grind and worries that she can never offer them the promise of a better existence. That’s when Robert Katende (David Oyelowo) enters the fray. Katende runs a chess program for Katwe children from a makeshift open church, utilising the game as a platform to engage and sharpen their minds. The game cultivates abstract thinking, innovation and creativity, skills that will prepare them for a formal education and a better life.

When Phiona follows her brother Brian (Martin Kabanza) to the church one day, she sees Katende sharing the fundamentals of chess with children her age. It is a moment that will seal her destiny. She is mesmerised by the game and quickly catches on to its meticulous rules and the importance each calculated move on the board holds. Katende feels an immediate bond with Phiona and recognising her extraordinary aptitude starts to mentor her. Harriet, however, does not understand why chess is more important than feeding her family. She views dreaming as the very thing that can hinder their survival. All grow as events unfold.

It was an article by Tim Crothers in ESPN Magazine where producer John Carls (Where the Wild Things Are) first learned about the work of Sports Outreach and realised its cinematic potential. Robert Katende was soccer coach for Sports Outreach, a faith-based organisation that uses sport to make a difference in the lives of at-risk youth in the poorest areas of the world. Katende was a civil engineer searching for a job that would financially support his wife and two children when his faith, compassion and love of soccer led him to Katwe. That resulted in the development of his chess program, which over the next few years helped shape the lives of countless children, Phiona Mutesi being one of them.

Queen of Katwe has good look and feel and has been beautifully shot by director of photography Sean Bobbitt (12 Years a Slave). Principal cinematography took place from April to June last year in and around Katwe and Kibuli in Kampala, Uganda as well as in Johannesburg in South Africa. The filmmakers employed local crews and extras in both countries.

Directed by Mira Nair (Monsoon Wedding) from a screenplay by William Wheeler (The Reluctant Fundamentalist), the story is strong and inspirational, but too predictable and formulaic. I felt like I was being manipulated and I didn’t warm to that. Don’t get me wrong, Queen of Katwe still manages to weave its magic and I shed more than the odd tear, but I saw where it was going from the outset.

I knew nothing of Phiona Mutesi and her rise and rise in the world of chess, but still the movie continues to be signposted. Yes, this is somebody succeeding against the odds and we – the audience – just know that the path to success will be paved with pitfalls. It is often the unexpected that can turn a good movie into a great one … this remains a pleasant film. Virtually all the principal characters are nice and selfless, maybe too nice and selfless to ring true, notwithstanding that it is based upon fact. Rated PG, Queen of Katwe scores a 7 out of 10.

Director: Mira Nair
Cast: Madina Nalwanga, David Oyelowo, Lupita Nyong’o, Martin Kabanza
Release Date: 1 December 2016
Rating: PG

Alex First