michaeljhuman I am very impressed by the acting of the kidThe movie is interesting, but not especially amazing. Above average. I believe it's quite enjoyable for people who like this style of movie though. It slightly reminds me of Matilda, maybe due to comedy elements and smart girl.Garafalo is a bit under utilized. I have been a big fan for years and think she's great. But of course the movie is about the girl, so it's to be expected that she's under utilized.There's some funny lines in the movie. For example the mentor remarks, in response to a question, 'Is it bigger than a breadbox?' And the girl says 'XBox"? And he says 'What's an XBox". And she says 'What's a breadbox'. Very funny gender gap commentaryIt's not a good chess movie IMO. If you want more about chess, see something else, IMO. I feel like this movie misrepresents the game a bit and how one would learn about it.

rbarbieri-479-474533 A Little Game is nice, family-friendly (for the most part) movie with quality acting. The young stage actress, Makenna Ballard makes her big screen debut as Max, a 10-year-old Manhattenite. Olympia Dukakis as her "Ya-Ya" and F.Murray Abraham as her reluctant mentor. I watched it with my own 10-year-old who was engaged watching Max maneuver school, family, and life in general. From a mom's perspective, I thought the movie delivered a wonderful glimpse of the world through a young girl's eyes which, realistically, would include the fantasies playing out in her mind. From a Christian perspective, I was taken by surprise by a scene in which the parents share a beer. This doesn't offend me; I'm just not used to seeing casual alcohol use in a family movie. Also, there is a very brief - almost subversive - mention of the neighbor boy's two moms, as well as a cutaway of Max picturing herself with two dads. Though a common theme today, I thought it should be mentioned for families that prefer to filter worldly ideals. Overall, the importance of family, friendship, and love was portrayed stronger than anything else.

TxMike We found this nice small movie on Netflix streaming. It is set and filmed in Manhattan, it centers on a very bright and grounded 10-yr- old girl named Max. During the first 15 minutes or so my wife wondered out loud if this is a good movie, setting the stage for everything else took a bit of time. But once it got going there was never a dull moment. Well-written and well-acted, it is very entertaining and has a great message about living the life you are in and not worrying too much about what happens after. Or 5 Billion years into the future when the Sun is supposed to destroy the Earth.The star is newcomer Makenna Ballard as Max Kuftinec. Her acting style and delivery of lines reminded me of a miniature Shailene Woodley. Her dad is the building superintendent and her mom is a chef at a nearby restaurant. She also has a very cute younger sister. She is very bright and her parents want her to be challenged so they make arrangements for her to enter a new, more prestigious school. It is more expensive than her public school and the parents have to make sacrifices.The chess theme comes in when a teacher suggests that since Max is a Math whiz she would probably be good at chess, but Max knows essentially nothing about it and obviously can't play. But one day walking home from school she notices the chess players in the public square and enters into a deal for one of them to teach her.Played by F. Murray Abraham, his method is unique. Instead of simply telling Max how to play the game he has her go into the city and seek clues. His point is the game isn't just played on a board, it is a metaphor for the city and you have to use chess strategy the same way you use strategy to get around the city.This is a very satisfying movie and the young actress that plays Max is really good in this role.

R B This is a light hearted wonderful family movie. The newcomer, Makenna Ballard, takes to the film like she has been on camera her whole life and without IMDb, it would not be easy to tell this is her first project. The cast is spot on for most of the characters and the heavy weights don't let you down, (F. Murray Abraham and Olympia Dukakis). The fantasy elements seemed unnecessary and tripped up the pacing and impact of Abraham's lessons. If they would have just played it straight instead of the fantasy elements the story would have had a deeper impact with it's message of using your brain to find your way out of situations, but they relied on fantasy to help out her brain instead. The childhood rivalries are familiar, but that's because they ring true, and what is more familiar than the truth? It's a fun movie and many of the messages are good for kids and good to be reminded of for adults.