Just like previous chess themed movies involving child prodigies (Searching for Bobby Fischer) and inspiring adults who aim to teach the game to underprivileged youths (The Dark Horse), Queen of Katwe uses a board game - which many around the globe don't know how to play - in order to inspire its audience with an uplifting story of an underdog overcoming all odds in order to succeed as a champion at a very high level. Young Phiona Mutesi (Madina Nalwanga) begins to show serious understanding of the game under the tutelage of coach Robert Katende (David Oyelowo), and soon her chess prowess may be her family's only ticket out of Uganda's slums and into bigger and better things. Director Mira Nair (Salam Bombay, Monsoon Wedding) has made a satisfactory, crowd-pleasing movie that even those who don't understand the game of chess will enjoy, and even though the story is your standard Disney sports cliche, there's a quiet, admirable wisdom quality to young Nalwanga's demeanor. That may not be enough to place Queen of Katwe among the best movies of this sub-genre, but it's certainly the only one I can think of where succeeding in chess doesn't just mean notoriety and fame, but also a better life that includes typically taken-for-granted things such as running water and roof over one's head. Literally.
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