Chess; not exactly ones first choice when trying to make a multi-million dollar blockbuster, and yet Disney seemed to have made it work nonetheless.
This incredibly inspiring real-life story takes place in the slums of Kenya, where a little girl has a big dream; to play enough chess to help her family escape the horrific poverty of the slums.
As is to be expected from a rags to riches type film, the content really pulls at the heartstrings, but it is this emotion that fills the screen that is what makes this such an intensely spectacular masterpiece.
Emotion of course is one of Disney’s many specialities, but this film is in a league of its own. Between the phenomenal acting talent and the perspective camera angles, the filmmakers don’t even leave you enough time to take a breath before they plunge you into the next drama induced scene.
It is rare, as a viewer, that we get an insight into such honest poverty and heartache without a filter to keep us from reality. And it is for this reason that you cannot help but admire the Director, Mira Nair, for her courage in its execution.
The Cinematic Explorer 