Critical Thinking | SXSW 2020 Film Review

The intellectual sport of chess teaches patience, the importance of rational thinking, consequences, and how to re-strategize when an obstacle presents itself. Pair that with a passionate teacher whose faith in his students’ abilities is unwavering and you get the true story behind Critical Thinking. 

Mario Martinez (John Leguizamo) is a Cuban-American instructor at a Miami high school in the 90’s with a classroom full of students whose behavior is often less than acceptable. But those students are enduring a battle much stronger on the streets at home. These disadvantaged minorities are pushed to the wayside by the school system that only seems to care about the kids who already have what they need to succeed. 

Recognizing this failure, and after losing a kid to the street war zone, Mr. Martinez resists. Nothing will keep him from helping his students find a way out of war, drugs, and death. For Martinez, that means chess. He uses this to group them together and find solace in a skillful craft that they can feel accomplished in. As the film progresses, Martinez’s students must face the duel both at home and in the game of chess, if they want to make it to Nationals.

Martinez is the teacher we all wish we could have had, remember having, or aspire to be, because of the level of impact he has on his students and the lengths to which he will go for them to reach their full potential. He doesn’t make excuses for them, even the ones who have to work third shift all night and come into class late. It may seem harsh but the reality is that life doesn’t give you breaks when you want or need them. Leguizamo perfectly encapsulates the essence of Martinez in his performance. 

Outside of Leguizamo, the cast is filled to the brim with talent. Young actors that do more than just fill screen time, but make you care about their character’s story. Jorge Lendeborg Jr. plays “Ito”, the struggling youth who works every night to help pay the bills. Lendeborg’s take is one that resonates deeply with those who understand the turmoil he’s enduring. Despite his fits of anger and picking fights, it’s clear Ito is a smart kid.

The other stand out casting comes from the Roundtree household. Sedrick Roundtree (Corwin C. Tuggles) knows all about the game of chess, seeing as he plays it with his father (Michael Kenneth Williams). The two have a close but tumultuous relationship since Sedrick’s mother passed away, and Mr. Roundtree is living in a constant state of devastation. It felt so authentic seeing Michael Kenneth Williams laying on a couch reeling through his pain, holding an image of his wife one minute, and then later becoming reactionary and aggressive when he’s having a drink. 

Leguizamo’s directorial debut is overall a successful one. The story alone is intense and inspiring, and his cast stands alongside his own fabulous performance the whole way through. A lack of subtitles when another language is being spoken and a need to flesh out one character that arrives midway through are really the only downfalls of Critical Thinking. 

A chronicle about surviving despite the odds and in the face of dire consequences, Critical Thinking reminds us all the importance of planning our next move.