Leon Breaux The film Brooklyn Castle offers an intimate and emotionally powerful view into the world of junior and high school public schools in Brooklyn and Manhattan in the late 2000s. Told mainly from the point of view of Intermediate School 318's vice principal, John Galvin, who adds an informative, pragmatic, yet deeply caring voice to the story, we follow the travails and triumphs of their star chess team. The story takes us through the tough requirements for interscholastic chess competition and gives us insight into the minds of several grand masters as well as the student's chess coach and teacher, Elizabeth Vicary. From this intense and dedicated teacher we learn the benefits to students of such a rigorous program: how chess allows students turned off by other learning to delve deeply into a subject with many openings for their interest, and how they learn that truth does not only depend on a simple notion of right and wrong because of the variety of options and outcomes in a chess game (apparently there are more possible chess games than atoms in the universe).We learn about Oghenakpobo Efekro (Pobo), a first-generation American born of Nigerian parentage, and his hugely effusive seventh and eighth grade personality as he takes charge and takes responsibility, triumphing both in chess and as class president of I.S. 308; we learn of little Justus, a fifth grader with a incoming ranking of 1900 (Albert Einstein ranked about 1800) and his successful confrontations with the reality of failure; of Patrick, a boy with ADHD and the heart of a warrior, struggling with all his might to win a single game in a big tournament (he advises us in one of the film's many disarmingly intimate short interviews that, though many people tell him he can learn from losing, he believes this is bullshit), and Rochelle Ballantyne, a young black woman with a reserved personality but the intellectual horsepower to have a prestigious New York City public school offer her, through special funding directly from the school board, a personal grand master chess coach. She also won, as a high school freshman, a full scholarship to University of Texas at Dallas by winning the national title.A large part of the film deals with the effects of the 2008 financial crisis on I.S. 318 and their hard-fought battles to retain funding through involving the community, especially students' parents. As a Title I school, meaning at least 60% of the students live in poverty (about 70% at I.S. 318), this money has a huge impact on students' lives and future opportunities. Many of these students, without extracurricular programs (besides chess, think band, art, music, and after school clubs and activities) would have little opportunity to experience these things and far more opportunity to get in trouble with the law outside (or inside) of school. When we see such students as Pobo, who admitted in an interview that if not for chess, he would have kept up his bad boy ways with who knows what outcome -- certainly not talking to us for this film -- and Rochelle, who without the support and opportunities offered could not have succeeded in any manner even close to what she accomplished, the kids drive home the unquestionable importance of adequate resources for high-poverty schools.Perhaps the most endearing quality the film possesses lies in its lack of overt political spin. Too many educational films give a one-sided approach that leaves the viewer questioning the motives of the producers. This FilmBuff (digital distributor) picture, however, works on its own as an independent film. John Sloss, the co-founder of FilmBuff and the film's producer Producers Distribution Agency (PDA) has academy award credits for The Fog of War and Boys Don't Cry, along with credit for such films as City of Hope and A Scanner Darkly, among others. The broad-based talent shows: the film's qualities easily appeal to a large audience on several levels, neatly straddling the lines between documentary, biography, personal empowerment, and the outright power of journalistic storytelling. One of the directors, Brian Schulz, has won three Emmys for his YES Yankeeography series, and John Sloss has served as a graduate professor at Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. Both the film's entertainment value and local knowledge of Brooklyn life show their influences.Portrayed with little sympathy, however, are the people responsible for the financial crisis. In the words of vice principal John Galvin, the students were being punished for something that was not their fault.The film captivated me from beginning to end. In such a well-crafted, well-researched piece of work, I am hard pressed to find any faults. I would only say that some of the important statistics the film invokes flash by on the screen a bit too quickly, and I found myself reviewing them while pausing the movie, something I'd be unable to do in a theater. Perhaps showing such statistics for four seconds, say, instead of two, might be helpful in this regard.How do we keep brown kids from poor families in school and make them productive, caring citizens? The ancient game of chess, properly organized and taught, appears to offer an inroad to many. But the problem, as ever, lies in resources. I.S. 318 was hit hard by the financial crisis, forcing the staff, community and students to fight tooth and nail to continue their effective and worthy work with the hearts and minds of young people. The final question for the audience may well be this: are we willing, as a society, to do whatever it takes to maintain a quality education for all in the face of draconian financial cuts? In the words of Pobo, in a letter he drafted to a politician (the entire school wrote letters as well) it should not even be a question. I have to agree.

TxMike 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.

intelearts 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.

Robyn Nesbitt (nesfilmreviews) Fantastic, inspirational, warm-hearted true story--a can't miss documentary. Goes on a little longer than it probably should, but watching the improbable story unfold is unquestionably captivating."Brooklyn Castle" is a documentary about I.S. 318 - an inner-city school where more than 65 percent of students are from homes with incomes below the federal poverty level - that also happens to have the best junior high school chess team in the country. Chess has transformed the school from "school in need of improvement" in 2003, to one of New York City's best. But a series of recession-driven pubic school budget cuts now threaten to undermine those hard-won successes.The second act of the film loses its sense of direction, but finds its footing again in the third act when the focus is on the kids and the intense competition of the tournaments. If you feel that the country's educational system is in a perpetual downward spiral, and no one really cares, be sure to give it a watch. It's sure to give you at least some hope for our nation's future.