One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

If you're a lover of the game of chess and especially for those of who who subscribe to the Democratic Party philosophy of taking from others to give to your own causes, then this might be a movie for you. I thought it was going to be a movie about giving kids a chance to pull themselves up and out by achieving but it is, alas, a movie about complaining about greedy bankers who killed the economy instead. I'd like, for once, to see an honest movie about all who share the blame, including continuing to spend money we don't have and can no longer pay back. You think it's sad that kids can't play chess without funds? That's the very least of our troubles. These kids can take up to seven classes a week in chess. What? Seven classes for a fun, non-necessary skill? Can they read? Can they think independently? Can they do math and follow logic? Do they have the economic and financial basis for becoming productive citizens? Where are those classes? Do they know supply and demand? Guns vs. butter?

I enjoy all kinds of documentaries about school age kids and how they can pull themselves above their family situations through talent, perseverance and hard work. Here we look at a Brooklyn public school, Intermediate School (I.S.) 318, where about 2/3 of the students are from families living at or below the poverty level. Many are first generation Americans. But the great thing is they don't know what their limitations might be, they are able to dream and succeed regardless of where their parents are on the social or economic ladder.The documentary covers the years 2008 through 2012, and has to deal with the reduced budgets resulting from the economic downturn of 2009 and following years. At I.S 318 is a fine chess program for students, in fact the school has won over 20 national championships, the most of any I.S. in the country. The documentary follows the team and several of its members, with snippets from their school life and their home life.Back in the early 1970s when Bobby Fischer was winning the world chess championship I, like many other Americans, became keenly interested in chess. In fact I can recall playing chess with co-workers almost every day at lunch for a few weeks, and I learned enough to know how difficult it is to play well. These kids at I.S 318 are remarkable, in that they accept the discipline and hard work necessary to get there. They may not make a living at it but mastering chess sets them up to master almost anything they choose to follow in life.My favorite was Rochelle , a young black girl who was the top player at I.S. 318 when she left that school after the 8th grade. She set a goal to become the first female Chess Master of her ethnic origin, and while she hasn't reached that goal yet, won the National Competition to earn a full ride scholarship to University of Texas.Plus, as a footnote to the documentary, I.S. 318 in 2012 became the first ever Intermediate school to win the National High School Championship.A superb documentary on a superb program and a superb group of kids.

Brooklyn Castle takes a fascinating look at the success of I318 School in Brooklyn - a middle school that has consistently produced chess champions.It asks how and why and also looks at the wider general issue of how funding is slashing such programs. As with any documentary connecting with both the subject and its protagonists is vital - and here that works - 12 years olds are notorious for being either extrovert to the point of annoying or introvert to the point of silence - but here the balance is just the right side of cool - and it's easy to be swept up in the tales.It works best when showing the tournaments and the chess, and really while the parents' interviews are OK they're not adding to the tale that much. BC is slightly long and more editing would have helped a lot - at times your attention wanders, but it is saved by a very strong story.In addition, there are moments which are wholly captivating - and lift the film - this is a film which does inspire, and makes us believe that great teachers and good teaching can give kids who are otherwise likely to be forgotten a real chance in life.

Brooklyn Castle was extremely well-received at its World Premiere at Austin's SXSW Film Festival. This film shows how students who are often written off as low achievers can be inspired and empowered to succeed. I.S. 318 in Brooklyn has been building teams that win national chess championships and by doing so empowering students to learn and to succeed against very long odds. This inspiring film focuses in on a few students and shows their struggles and their successes. These students take us into their lives and show us how chess has changed them and given them opportunities that they never knew existed before. Chess provides them an avenue to success where they can go as far as their minds can take them. The film is powerful antidote to all of the negative attacks that we hear about teachers and public education (in films such as "Waiting for Superman" which placed the blame for educational problems on the Teachers Unions). This shows that students succeed when they are empowered by excellent teachers. One creative aspect of this school is that chess is offered to the students as an elective course instead of just an extra-curricular activity.Despite all of their successes they face even greater challenges from budget cuts that threaten their opportunities to travel to tournaments and compete. Education and the opportunity to achieve should be a right of all American students, not a privilege of the well-to-do. This film should be widely viewed by all those here in Texas and around the country that are seeking to balance budgets on the backs of American schoolchildren. We need to invest in the minds of our children if we expect them to be able to compete in a global economy. Chess is an excellent avenue that can be used to grow young minds. Bravo to I.S. 318 and to the filmmakers of Brooklyn Castle who have shown us the successes being achieved at one school. This film needs to be widely viewed by the general public and most especially by our educators and our political leaders.