Cuba Gooding Jr's New Chess Movie Trailer: Life of a King
Chess Blog for Daily Chess News and Trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hello everyone,
Black Struggle, Chess Redemption: Just one of America’s 83 Grandmasters is black. This ‘Reel Numbers’ adds context to Cuba Gooding Jr.’s new film, ‘Life of a King,’ which shows how chess can empower poor black youths. Here's the video trailer of the movie:
From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal chess blog
at www.chessqueen.com
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Labels: chess movie, Chess video, life of a king
Cool Chess Movie Releasing in Theaters Jan 17: Life of a King (Trailer Video)
Chess Blog for Daily Chess News and Trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2013
Hello everyone,
Jake Goldberger-directed cool new chess movie 'Life of a King' is releasing January 17, 2014. Goldberger has also written the feature film that stars Cuba Gooding Jr., Dennis Haysbert, and Lisa Gay Hamilton.
Based on a true story — and a still-active chess club – Life of a King had its premiere at the Los Angeles Film Festival recently.
The story goes: After spending almost two decades in prison, Eugene Brown, played by Gooding, struggles to find a life outside of the walls of his incarceration. He finally gets a janitorial job in an inner-city Washington, D.C. high school and a chance to fix his wrongs. This is where he starts the Big Chair Chess Club and encourages the troubled teens to find purpose through learning the game. Here's the trailer video:
From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
Labels: big chair chess club, chess movie, cuba gooding jr, dennis haysbert, eugene brown, jake goldberger, life of a king, lisa gay hamilton
New Chess Movie: Life of a King
12th Women's World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk's Chess Blog for Latest Chess News and Trivia (c) 2013Hi everyone, Here's a nice review of a movie with chess as a motif. Director: Jake Goldberger. US. 2013. 101mins.
Life Of A King is the tale of an ex-con (Cuba Gooding Jr.,) who teaches some inner-city teens about discipline through chess. Gooding does what he can to portray Brown as a flawed, ordinary man who chose to make the world around him a little better — and, in the process, find redemption — and the actor largely avoids grandstanding theatrics.
Premiering at the Los Angeles Film Festival, Life Of A King will benefit commercially from Gooding’s involvement, and audiences may respond to the movie’s dependably feel-good genres. (Life Of A King combines a sports movie with an inspirational-teacher narrative.)
Directed and co-written by Jake Goldberger (Don McKay), Life Of A King tells the story of Eugene Brown, who in the 1990s rebuilt his life by starting a chess club for at-risk youths. The film introduces us to Brown (Gooding) just as he’s released following a 17-year sentence for a bank robbery. Because of his criminal record, Brown has difficulty finding a job, especially since he wants to leave behind his old ways, resisting overtures from a former associate (Richard T. Jones) who offers him a lucrative gig as part of his drug operation.
Instead, Brown works as a janitor at an impoverished high school, although he soon becomes a fill-in detention monitor for the school’s worst delinquents. With his street-smart demeanour, he’s able to talk to these kids in a way that their intimidated teachers can’t, and he encourages them to take up chess, a game he learned while in prison. Quickly, it becomes clear that one of his pupils, the stoic Tahime (Malcolm Mays), has real talent, but the teen is torn between pursuing chess and following his buddy Clifton (Carlton Byrd) into crime.
Brown sees chess as a metaphor for life: Each move should be carefully considered and an endgame must always be in mind. It’s a useful analogy, particularly for the poor African-American youth enrolled in Brown’s chess club who don’t have the educational or economic opportunities that others enjoy.
As Life Of A King’s storyline shifts from Brown to Tahime’s quest for a city championship, the proceedings remain stiflingly predictable, but Mays infuses his scenes with feeling, which is even more impressive because the character is so withdrawn and terse.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal blog at
www.chessqueen.com
Don't miss Chess Queen™
YouTube Channel
Labels: chess movie, cuba gooding, jake goldberger, life of a king
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Black Struggle, Chess Redemption: Just one of America’s 83 Grandmasters is black. This ‘Reel Numbers’ adds context to Cuba Gooding Jr.’s new film, ‘Life of a King,’ which shows how chess can empower poor black youths. Here's the video trailer of the movie: 
