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Life of a King

Life of A King (Poster)
Life of A King (Poster)
What it's about:

The unlikely true story of Eugene Brown and his one-man mission to give inner-city kids of Washington D.C. something he never had – a future.

Brown discovered a multitude of life lessons through the game of chess during his 18-year incarceration for bank robbery. After his release and re-entry into the workforce, Eugene developed and founded the Big Chair Chess Club to get kids off the streets and working toward lives they never dreamed they were capable of. From his daring introductory chess lessons for a group of unruly high school students in detention to the development of the club and the teens’ first local chess competitions, this movie reveals Brown’s difficult, inspirational journey and how he changed the lives of a group of teens with no endgame.

What the critics say:

An effective, even heartwarming, tale of one man's commitment to teaching that playing by the rules is more important than winning.
- Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post

The result has a predictably wholesome and formulaic structure, yet is redeemed through solid performances from Gooding and the youngsters, and a heartfelt sincerity that rings true.
- Todd Jorgenson, Cinemalogue.com

The furious energy with which Mr. Gooding stifles his own intensity becomes a fascinating subtext in what is otherwise a forgettable film.
Miriam Bale, New York Times

Solid performances-especially from star Cuba Gooding Jr.-elevate the film slightly above the familiar trappings of its genre.
- Christy Lemire, RogerEbert.com


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