Peter Cambor as Milo, Colson Baker as Wes, Finesse Mitchell as Harvey, Rafe Spall as Reg, Imogen Poots as Kelly Ann, Luke Wilson as Bill Hanson, Carla Gugino as Shelli Anderson and Keisha Castle-Hughes as Donna in ‘Roadies.’ (Photo: Courtesy of SHOWTIME)
Filming has wrapped up on the first season of Showtime’s music-driven series Roadies starring Carla Gugino, Luke Wilson, and Imogen Poots. The season one finale is scheduled to air on August 28, 2016 at 10pm ET/PT and today the network announced the lineup of musical guests who will appear on the final episode of the show’s first season. Series creator Cameron Crowe “personally curated” the music featured on the finale, with Eddie Vedder, Jim James, Nicole Atkins, Jackson Browne, Robyn Hitchcock, Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig from Lucius, and Gary Clark Jr. all performing during the season’s final episode.
Additional music featured in the first season of Roadies include songs by Bob Dylan, The Ramones, The Replacements, The Ting Tings, and Jeff Buckley. Reignwolf contributed to the score of the season’s second episode, and Joy Williams (The Civil Wars) guest stars. Among the songs included in season one are “Dreams of Flying” from Tom Petty’s band Mudcrutch, The Voice‘s Hannah Huston’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me,” The Ramones’ “Loudmouth,” and “Given to Fly” by Pearl Jam.
In addition to Wilson, Gugino, and Poots, the cast of Roadies includes Keisha Castle-Hughes, Rafe Spall, Peter Cambor, Colson Baker, and Ron White. Luis Guzman, Jacqueline Byers, Finesse Mitchell, Branscombe Richmond, and Tanc Sade guest star. Winnie Holzman (My So-Called Life) writes and executive produces, with J.J. Abrams, Bryan Burk, and Len Goldstein also executive producing.
The Plot:Roadies gives an insider’s look at the reckless, romantic, funny and often poignant lives of a committed group of roadies who live for music and the de facto family they’ve formed along the way. The series chronicles the rock world through the eyes of music’s unsung heroes and pays homage to the backstage workers who put the show on the road while touring the United States for the successful arena-level group, The Staton-House Band.
Peter Dinklage, Nathalie Emmanuel, and Emilia Clarke in ‘Game of Thrones’ (Photo: courtesy of HBO)
In a seven minute video, Samuel L. Jackson provides a recap of all six seasons of HBO’s Game of Thrones. Sprinkled with colorful (not safe for work or kids) language, Jackson runs down key events while fast-forwarding through 99% of the series. Bran is tripping, Dany does well for herself, and no one (including Arya) seems to be paying any attention to the White Walkers as they are all concentrating on snagging the Iron Throne, according to Jackson. He goes off on people stuck on dragons and wisely advises we shouldn’t become attached to any character.
Sure, it’s a short, not very detailed account but with season six over and season seven likely delayed from April 2017 to sometime later in the year, any Game of Thrones video is better than no Game of Thrones video.
Ryan Gosling plays piano and sings in the teaser trailer for Summit Entertainment’s La La Land, a tribute to classic movie musicals. Emma Stone co-stars as a struggling actress in writer/director Damien Chazelle’s new romantic musical. La La Land, which marks the third time Stone and Gosling have teamed up onscreen (Gangster Squad and Crazy, Stupid, Love are the other two), also stars J. K. Simmons, Finn Wittrock, Sandra Rosko, and John Legend. La La Land is opening in theaters on December 16, 2016.
The Plot:La La Land is a modern take on the classic Hollywood romance, which is heightened by spectacular song-and-dance numbers, as two dreamers struggle to make ends meet while they pursue their passions in a city known for destroying hopes and breaking hearts. Mia (Emma Stone), an aspiring actress, serves lattes to movie stars in between auditions, and Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), a dedicated jazz musician, scrapes by playing cocktail piano gigs in dingy bars, but as success mounts they are faced with decisions that begin to fray the fragile fabric of their love affair, and the dreams they worked so hard to maintain in each other threaten to rip them apart.
Kyle Chandler in ‘Bloodline’ season two (Photo by Saeed Adyani/Netflix)
Netflix’s critically acclaimed, award-winning original dramatic series, Bloodline, has been renewed for a third season. The thriller was created by Daniel Zelman, Glenn Kessler, and Todd A. Kessler and stars Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights), Sissy Spacek (Big Love), Ben Mendelsohn (Mississippi Grind), Linda Cardellini (Mad Men), and Norbert Leo Butz (Mercy Street). Making the renewal announcement, Netflix confirmed the third season will consist of 10 new episodes and will premiere in 2017.
“Todd, Daniel, and Glenn have created a riveting family saga featuring one of the most talented ensembles in the history of television. We can’t wait to see what the next chapter holds for the all-too-human Rayburns,” said Cindy Holland, Vice President of Original Content at Netflix. Sony Pictures Television produces the series for Netflix.
The Plot: The Emmy®, Golden Globe®, and WGA nominated dramatic thriller explores the demons lurking beneath the surface of a contemporary American family. In Bloodline, the Rayburns are hard-working pillars of their Florida Keys community, but their past contains dark secrets that they hope remain buried. Paranoia and mistrust build as lies pile up, alliances are shattered, and an unthinkable crime takes place. The tight-knit family’s formerly harmonious relationship deteriorates, and good people are forced to consider doing very bad things.
Lewis MacDougall stars in ‘A Monster Calls’ (Photo Credit : Jose Haro / Focus Features)
Liam Neeson, who plays the titular monster, introduces the new trailer for A Monster Calls. Based on the critically acclaimed children’s book and directed by director J.A. Bayona (The Impossible), the cast also includes Sigourney Weaver, Felicity Jones, Toby Kebbell, and Lewis MacDougall. A Monster Calls was adapted for the screen by the book’s author, Patrick Ness, and Focus Features will release the film in theaters on October 21, 2016.
The Plot: 12-year-old Conor (Lewis MacDougall), dealing with his mother’s (Felicity Jones) illness, a less-than-sympathetic grandmother (Sigourney Weaver), and bullying classmates, finds a most unlikely ally when a Monster appears at his bedroom window. Ancient, wild, and relentless, the Monster guides Conor on a journey of courage, faith, and truth. Toby Kebbell plays Conor’s father, and Liam Neeson stars in performance-capture and voiceover as the nocturnally visiting Monster of the title.
Bryan Cranston stars in ‘The Infiltrator’ (Photo Credit: Liam Daniel / Broad Green Pictures)
“You know who the biggest money launderer is in the U.S.?” asks Roberto Alcaino (Benjamin Bratt). “I thought it was me,” replies Robert Musella aka Robert Mazur (Bryan Cranston), a federal agent who’s deep undercover posing as a money launderer to try to bring down the Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar in the dramatic film, The Infiltrator.
In 1986 after a successful bust of a drug dealer, FBI agent Bob Mazur approaches his superior with the idea of instead of chasing the drugs to find the criminals they should instead focus on the money and hopefully that will lead them to the big bosses controlling the drugs from Colombia. Mazur creates a new identity from a real deceased person, Robert Musella, and sets up his cover as a slick businessman who can launder the cartels drug money.
Mazur is paired up with fellow agent Emir Abreu (John Leguizamo) who will be his contact to the Colombians and who has an inside informant. To further complete his cover and to keep the willing hookers away, Mazur (who is happily married and wants to stay that way) is paired with rookie agent Katy Ertz (Diane Kruger) to pose as Musella’s fiancé. After gaining the Colombian’s trust and avoiding getting killed a few times, Mazur as Musella is finally introduced and begins a partnership with Pablo Escobar’s main lieutenant, Roberto Alcaino (Benjamin Bratt). With the help of his two partners, Musella sets up what would become the biggest drug bust in U.S. history.
Based on a true story, The Infiltrator is a stylish, suspenseful crime drama that’s elevated by Bryan Cranston’s performance. Cranston shines as undercover agent Mazur who is determined to bring down not just the local drug pushers but the main Colombian drug lords and goes all out to do just that. Cranston delivers a multi-layered performance as Mazur, the smart and loyal agent who excels at being his alias Musella, the smooth-talking, smiling money launderer who enjoys doing business with the drug lords. He also brings to the screen Mazur as the loving husband and father to his family who unfortunately has to get further away from them to keep them safe. One powerful scene that captures this is when Mazur is out with his wife on their anniversary dinner and a Colombian associate comes over to say hi to Musella. Mazur has to quickly come up with a fake story about who his wife is because the Colombians believe he’s engaged to Kruger’s character. The exchange forces Mazur to drastically change his personality which is shocking and disturbing to his wife. It’s a scene that perfectly demonstrates Cranston’s brilliance as an actor.
Diane Kruger delivers one of her best performances as Ertz the young FBI agent who has never worked undercover but adds so much to Mazur’s cover charming the cartels drug runners and corrupted bankers with her beauty and outgoing personality. Both Cranston and Kruger have solid chemistry together and become close when they get in deeper than any undercover agents have before and have only each other to lean on and depend on.
Benjamin Bratt is very convincing in his portrayal of Roberto Alcaino, the top lieutenant to Pablo Escobar who’s a smart and careful businessman who loves his family, loves to cook, and won’t hesitate to have someone brutally murdered if he suspects them of being a threat to either him or the organization. Some of the best scenes in the film are with Bratt and Cranston doing business together and talking about life and the importance of family.
With a stellar performance by Bryan Cranston, solid writing, and a strong supporting cast, The Infiltrator is an engaging and suspenseful film capturing the dangerous and deadly world of undercover work.
GRADE: B
Directed By: Brad Furman
MPAA Rating: R for strong violence, language throughout, some sexual content and drug material
Emmy-winning voice-over artist Nancy Cartwright will be holding her first art gallery exhibition during this year’s San Diego Comic-Con. The exhibition is open to the public and will take place at the Chuck Jones Gallery (232 Fifth Avenue) on Saturday, July 23rd at 7:30pm PT. The Chuck Jones Gallery is named after Oscar winner Chuck Jones, who won an Academy Award in the Best Short Subject, Cartoons category as well as an Honorary Oscar that was presented to him in 1996 by Robin Williams for “the creation of classic cartoons which have brought worldwide joy for more than half a century.”
The Chuck Jones Gallery is dedicated to the art of the animated film which makes it the perfect location to host an exhibition of Nancy Cartwright’s work. Cartwright has spent decades entertaining TV audiences of all ages as the voice Bart Simpson in The Simpsons. She also brought Mindy to life in Animaniacs, Gloria in Richie Rich, Rufus the Naked Mole Rat in Kim Possible, and Chuckie in Rugrats. Cartwright also provided the voice of the character Earl Squirrel in Thomas TimberWolf, Chuck Jones’ final creation.
Paintings and sculptures created by Nancy Cartwright will be on display at the event which is just blocks from the San Diego Convention Center where Comic Con will be held July 21-July 24. Cartwright’s sculptures of Bart Simpson as ‘Bartman’ are currently on display at USC’s Cinematic Arts Complex and outside the News Corp building in New York.
CBS’ Zoo season two episode four titled ‘The Walls of Jericho’ and airing on July 12, 2016 begins in Costa Rica with a sloth. Yes, an adorable, so cute you just want to squeeze it and make it your new BFF sloth. He – or maybe it’s a she – is making its way at a slothy speed across a tree branch completely unaware a group of armed men watch its progress. Someone shoots the sloth with a tranquilizer and it becomes even more mellow than is normal for the peaceful tree-dwelling creature.
And now we’re off to New Brunswick, Canada for the continuing adventures of Jamie (Kristen Connolly) and Logan (Josh Salatin). Jamie’s still upset at Logan for all of his lies, which is totally understandable as they’re lost in the woods and have to depend on each other. Logan’s about to shoot a gun to scare off nearby animals when Jamie stops him just in time, claiming firing a loud weapon would be like ringing a dinner bell. Crisis averted. Still, they’re freezing to death and Jamie convinces Logan it’s time to burn his money to keep them warm for the night.
Moving on to the plane, Mitch (Billy Burke) tells Jackson (James Wolk) he’s got the same mutated markers in his genetic sequence as the man/creature Kovacs they captured and killed. Mitch tells Jackson he’s got brand new genes on a brand new strand of DNA, just like the animals. But, all hope’s not lost. Mitch might have a way to fix Jackson before he morphs into a hulked-up mutant similar to The Thing in Fantastic Four. He needs to keep the new strand of DNA from turning itself on, but Jackson tells him to just concentrate on curing the animals and forget about worrying about him for now. This comes after they compete in a mini-battle of metaphors. Mitch convinces Jackson he’s got it backwards; Jackson needs to be cured because humans are the most evolved and curing him would lead to a cure for the animals.
The money is providing a comfy fire for Jamie and Logan as Logan works on Jamie’s frozen toe (did it completely fall off?) while she explains why her friends will be able to figure out she’s heading to Caraquet. Just then they see a car in the distance and Logan quickly extinguishes the flames, telling Jamie he didn’t tell her everything. Seriously, Logan? You might want to rethink the whole Jamie’s on a need-to-know-basis thing you’ve got going on given your situation.
And it’s off to catching up with new couple Abraham (Nonso Anozie) and Dariela Marzan (Alyssa Diaz). The two seem quite cozy even though they only just met a short while ago under extremely violent and stressful circumstances. Dariela wants him to come to bed, but Abraham is working on tracking down Jamie by figuring out how far she can travel in a day. But Dariela turns out to be too irresistible and Abraham takes a break from going over maps to enjoy a little cuddle time. #easilysidetracked
Jackson tells Chloe (Nora Arnezeder) Mitch found a link between the lumpy mutant/Kovacs and the mutated animals, and Chloe’s quick to ask if that link is him. Of course it is – Jackson doesn’t have a poker face. Chloe’s upset Jackson told Mitch but gets over it enough to tell them the captured sloth was supposedly “capable of creating an earthquake in Costa Rica.” (It didn’t look overweight and it definitely didn’t have Hulk smash capabilities.) Mitch reads a report that reveals the sloth has developed a call at a frequency that can cause an earthquake. Mitch quickly deduces that he needs that sloth because it’s got a turned-on switch that may help him figure out Jackson’s DNA change and how to stop it from turning on. “Understanding the triple helix is the key to saving your life,” says Mitch. And off they go on a mission to retrieve that sloth.
The sloth is being held in a case that’s soundproof but apparently it’s not the only creature that can cause an earthquake. The multi-story facility where it’s temporarily housed comes crashing to the ground as the military and a few scientists rush the sloth out of the building. It’s safe, but the people on floors two through whatever aren’t as lucky. And who, you ask, is the culprit? It’s moles! If moles can target and bring down a huge building, then Mitch better speed up his research into switching off triple helixes.
The fearsome fivesome don’t know if the sloth was in the building, but there are reports a military truck sped off right when the building came down. Mitch does his best whack-a-mole impression, popping up from a sewer grate to inform the team of the mole situation. They walk around underground while Mitch gives them a lesson as to how moles operate. Jackson wants Mitch to put his mole fetish aside, and Mitch says moles have definitely mutated because normally they’re solitary creatures who only come together to procreate. A snide comment is thrown in that that’s something we should all strive for. Is now really the time to joke when dozens/hundreds of people may be lying crushed to death just feet away? No one seems to care about the possible loss of life, but there’s a lot of thought given to the whereabouts of the sloth. Mitch suggests they follow the moles through their very huge, people-sized tunnels to track the sloth.
Last we saw of Jamie and Logan it was pitch black and they were trying not to be spotted by the car. It’s daylight when we meet up with them again, but it appears Jamie didn’t ask about the car during all that walking as she’s just now bringing the subject up. She also says she won’t go on until he explains what’s going on, and Logan comes clean that they paid him $10 grand and he was supposed to give the rest of the money to his contact to pay for the leopard. Unfortunately, just then the people who hired Logan show up to get their money back.
The tunnels are large enough that they can all travel through the mole holes, and Dariela tells Mitch he is a mole. (Show of hands of those who added “Your mama’s a mole” to Dariela’s statement.) Oh, Chloe skipped out on playing the mole game and is back on the plane attempting to find the location of the sloth. Where is this plane that they can go in and out of without it taking any time to get to the airport? Abraham also opted out of the mole tunnel-crawling expedition and is back on the plane.
Logan and Jamie swear they don’t have the money anymore and that they threw it out. Unfortunately, one of the guys finds the bag next to the burned out campfire where they roasted the money. So, I guess this means all night when Logan and Jamie were on the run from Logan’s employers they actually only made it a few yards away from the campfire. Or, it means it should still be dark in these scenes but shooting in the daylight looked better. Logan still swears he can get the money and as Logan’s about to be shot, wolves attack and take down Logan’s employers allowing Jamie time to escape.
Mitch and Dariela comes across a thousand dead moles and Mitch reports they’ve hit a dead end, literally. That Mitch, what a crack up. Mitch and Dariela have to turn around, but not until they pick up a dead mole for research. The military figure out Chloe’s hacked their system, but she wants Mitch, Jackson and Dariela to stay in the tunnels and continue on, even though Mitch just said they hit a dead end. Out of nowhere a huge alligator attacks. Wait, wasn’t the tunnel blocked with all the dead moles? Chloe says there’s an exit a few yards behind them but they have to dig their way out. How do you put an alligator attack on pause? Jackson can’t find the exit but Dariela thinks she can shoot the alligator. Mitch is in the line of fire so he doesn’t think that’s such a great idea. Fortunately, Jackson breaks through a brick wall using just his bare hands and he and Dariela make it through to the exit while Mitch is stuck with the alligator in the collapsing tunnel. Mitch is not alligator bait after all as Jackson’s able to drag him through the hole. Chloe, safe in the plane, tells them there’s an exit 10 meters behind them. She’s been using them as bait to draw out the military and now determines the military took the sloth to Radon Global (the bad guys from season one).
Back with Jamie, it’s now nighttime – again, for no reason – and she’s still running away from the site of the wolf attack. Apparently Logan’s boss, although badly injured, was not only able to keep up with her, he was also able to do so without making any noise. He takes her by surprise and holds her at knife point, demanding his money. She knees him in the jewels, disarms him, and is able to stab him in the stomach. He dies.
Back on the plane, Mitch says someone turned the mole tunnels into a gas chamber and that’s why they found hundreds of the creatures dead. Now, please step back a moment and think about this. The building collapsed, a mole was spotted, Mitch and the gang followed it through the tunnels and came upon all the dead little mole bodies. When did anyone from the military have time to figure out what happened, get gas, pump it into the right tunnels, and exterminate the moles? Moving on… The gas used was something Mitch had never encountered before, explaining it has no effect on humans. Jackson uses this mole killing hypothesis time to tell Mitch that he’s going to let Abraham in on the triple helix secret. Mitch tells him that’s a “five week from now problem” – they have bigger issues to deal with.
They’ve hacked into Radon Global’s security and are attempting to figure out where someone would keep a sloth in the building. There’s a huge party going on in the building, during the middle of this killer animal crisis. Everyone who will be voting on killing all the animals is in the building, just socializing and drinking wine. Chloe needs Dariela and Abraham to crash the party, but the doors inside open via a heartbeat recognition program. Everyone better hope this earthquake-causing, slow but deadly sloth is worth all this trouble!
Mitch, Chloe, Jackson, Abraham, and Dariela not only can travel through time, they also came on this mission packing black-tie gala apparel. That’s right, in the blink of an eye they’ve all somehow managed to shower, do their hair, get dressed up, and get into the party which was already going on. Where did these suits come from? Even Dariela who wasn’t part of the team and was on a mission in a forest when they ran into her is now elegantly dressed in full makeup and perfect hair. This doesn’t make a lick of sense. Granted, it’s wonderful to see the actors all looking their best, but this extreme shift in wardrobe and makeup defies all logic.
While waiting to make their entrance, Chloe and Jackson make out. Maybe the change in wardrobe prompted a rise in hormones? How did they get into the party? Doesn’t anyone check for invitations? They corner some guy and slip a Mickey prepared by Mitch into his drink to give him an upset tummy. Mitch and Abraham have a discussion about slipping people Mickeys, and then the general takes the stage to welcome everyone. He doesn’t notice the five people he’s chasing are in the audience gathered around the stage. He shows off TX-14, a fast-acting chemical agent that only targets the mutation. Humans will be safe; all animals with the mutation will be destroyed. Chloe whispers to Jackson that he’ll be killed by the gas, and Jackson points out he won’t be the only one. There are 2.2 million people with the triple helix. (Did we know that?)
The guy who received the Mickey has a mild heart attack so their plan didn’t work. Dariela puts into place Plan B, approaching the general and flirting. The general’s smarter than most of the people in the show and knows she’s Lt. Marzan. He wants to know where her friends are, dragging her away from the rest of the guests. Out of sight, Marzan gets the drop on the general and brings him at gunpoint to help them get through the security door that requires a heartbeat to open. One slap from Jackson and the four-star general gives up the location of the sloth. Chloe and Dariela decide he gave up the location too easily and head off the other direction. While searching, Chloe gets a text showing Jamie is in Caraquet. They find the poison and as they’re about to do something to get rid of it, the general gets away from Abraham long enough to push an alarm button.
Jamie wakes up from a sound sleep in the woods, soaking wet from the pouring rain. It’s Chloe who is waking her up and telling her she’s not going to die today. Chloe convinces her to get up and keep moving but of course Chloe isn’t there. It’s actually a hallucination. Nonetheless, Jamie gets up, looks around, and finds the keys to the car belonging to the man she killed. In her defense it was kill or be killed. Just then Logan yells from a short distance away. He also escaped being dinner for a pack of hungry wolves which leads to the question: are mutated wolves horrible at attacking people? They looked ready to rip the group to shreds but we know at least three of the five people involved have not only lived but suffered relatively minor injuries.
Back at the black tie gala, Jackson and Mitch find the sloth while the alarm continues to go off. Abraham arrives to help them move the sloth cage.
Jamie and Logan were apparently within short walking distance of the car which also makes no sense. They drive down a nice road and see a street sign that reads “Caraquet, 15 KM.”
Dariela and Chloe take fire from security, and Dariela flips off her high heels, and takes all three of the armed men out. The container of poison was hit during the fire fight and Chloe kicks it but it starts leaking. Dariela makes it into a safe room but Chloe doesn’t, passing out while muttering, “Jamie is in Caraquet.” Dariela can’t get the door open to save Chloe from a gas that wasn’t supposed to have any effect on humans but obviously does. Is Chloe dead? We’ll have to wait until episode five to find out.
Queen Aslaug (Alyssa Sutherland) in ‘Vikings’ (Photo by Jonathan Hession / HISTORY Copyright 2015)
Spike announced Vikings‘ Alyssa Sutherland has signed on to the cast of the horror series, The Mist, based on the novella by Stephen King. King’s story was previously made into a feature film released in 2007 and starring Thomas Jane, Laurie Holden, and Marcia Gay Harden. Sutherland will be playing Eve Cunningham in the series, a character described as “a wife and mother who fights to protect her teenage daughter from unknown dangers lurking both inside and outside the mist while facing down her past.”
Sutherland joins Frances Conroy (American Horror Story) in the 10 episode first season set to premiere in 2017. Filming on the TWC-Dimension Television production is expected to get underway this month with Christian Torpe, Amanda Segel, Bob Weinstein, Harvey Weinstein, and David Glasser executive producing. Megan Spanjian, Matthew Signer and Keith Levine are on board as producers.
In addition to her role as Queen Aslaug on Vikings, Sutherland’s credits include The Fortune Theory, Don’t Look Up, Day on Fire, and New Amsterdam.
The Plot:The Mist tells the story of a foreboding mist that arrives in one small town ushering in a terrifying new reality for its residents, putting their humanity to the test. What will people do to survive when blinded by fear?
Disney’s unveiled a new featurette from the dramatic film Queen of Katwe directed by Mira Nair. The new video includes the film’s stars, David Oyelowo (Selma) and Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years a Slave), discussing the appeal of the story and their meetings with the real people who inspired the movie. Also in the short video, director Mira Nair also talks about her connection to the world showcased in the film. Disney’s releasing Queen of Katwe in theaters on September 23, 2016.
The Plot:Queen of Katwe is based on the vibrant true story of a young girl from the streets of rural Uganda whose world rapidly changes when she is introduced to the game of chess, and, as a result of the support she receives from her family and community, is instilled with the confidence and determination she needs to pursue her dream of becoming an international chess champion.
For 10-year-old Phiona Mutesi (Nalwanga) and her family, life in the impoverished slum of Katwe in Kampala, Uganda, is a constant struggle. Her mother, Harriet (Nyong’o), is fiercely determined to take care of her family and works tirelessly selling vegetables in the market to make sure her children are fed and have a roof over their heads. When Phiona meets Robert Katende (Oyelowo), a soccer player turned missionary who teaches local children chess, she is captivated. Chess requires a good deal of concentration, strategic thinking and risk taking, all skills which are applicable in everyday life, and Katende hopes to empower youth with the game. Phiona is impressed by the intelligence and wit the game requires and immediately shows potential. Recognizing Phiona’s natural aptitude for chess and the fighting spirit she’s inherited from her mother, Katende begins to mentor her, but Harriet is reluctant to provide any encouragement, not wanting to see her daughter disappointed. As Phiona begins to succeed in local chess competitions, Katende teaches her to read and write in order to pursue schooling. She quickly advances through the ranks in tournaments, but breaks away from her family to focus on her own life. Her mother eventually realizes that Phiona has a chance to excel and teams up with Katende to help her fulfill her extraordinary potential, escape a life of poverty and save her family.
