The biopic, available on Netflix, stars Cuba Gooding Jr. and adapts the story of Eugene Brown, an ex-convict who changes the lives of young people through chess
The movie King’s Game is trending on Netflix with an overriding plot based on a true story. The biographical film tells the life of Eugene Brown, an ex-convict who wants to use his chess talent to change the lives of young students. The chess player is played by Cuba Golding Jr. (American Crime Story), while the play is directed by Jake Goldberger (Almost Friends).
Jogada de Rei, released in the cinema in 2013, performed worse in comparison with other major productions of that time, earning about 44 thousand US dollars at the box office (R $ 224 thousand, in current conversion). If you like biopics with examples of overcoming, then below you will find more information about the plot, the cast and the impact of the film.
King’s Gambit Plot
Eugene Brown spent 18 years in prison and now he wants a new chance in life. During his time in prison, he learned chess and became an excellent player. After successive rejections in the places where he is looking for work, Brown finally has the opportunity to work in a public school on the outskirts of Washington (USA). Learning about the chaotic situation in the institution, the chess player uses his abilities to discover new talents among the most problematic students.
Cast and Crew
The cast includes Dennis Haysbert (24) as Searcy, LisaGay Hamilton (Jackie Brown) as Sheila King, Rachae Thomas (Laps) as Katrina, Thurston Hill III (Diminuendo) as Henry, Richard T. Jones (The Horizon) as Perry, among others. Director Jake Goldberger is writing the script together with David Scott and Dan Wetzel.
The story behind the film
The real Eugene Brown today is a successful chess player, writer and motivational speaker. But his story, as it is shown in the film, is full of difficult moments. The chess player was arrested at the age of 20 after being involved in a bank robbery. He spent 18 years in the state prison of New Jersey, where he learned to play chess with other inmates in order to distract himself from the boredom of his cell.
After serving his sentence, Eugene decided that he should use his acquired talent to teach other young people. He founded a club for new players called the Big Chair Chess Club, which does social work in Washington. Unlike the one shown in the film, in which Cuba Gooding Jr. eugene’s lessons are also aimed at children from the age of 6.
The impact between the audience and the critics
Jogada de Rei achieved excellent public ratings, as evidenced by user reviews on IMDb (6.9), Metacritic (7.3) and Rotten Tomatoes (67%). Approval contrary to the opinion of critics, that on Metacritic the rating is 52, and on Rotten only 44% of journalists approved the film.
Among the positive reviews is the review of Michael O’Sullivan from the Washington Post. In his text, the journalist describes the film as “an effective and even touching story about how teaching by following the rules is more important than winning.”Christy Lemire, from the website RogerEbert.com , gave the film only two stars out of five, noting that the film is quite “straightforward and formal”, without bringing much new into the biographical dramas of overcoming.
Watch the official trailer of the Rei game:
Read Also: Where to watch Twisted Metal? Discover the synopsis and cast of the series