Evil Manipulation

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Evil Manipulation
Story – Ugezu J Ugezu, Solomon Apete
Screenplay – Ugezu J Ugezu
Director – Ugezu J Ugezu

Starring:
Mercy Johnson – Joyce
Van Vicker – Kenneth
Chiwetalu Agu – Anaegbuachala
Olu Jacobs – Ezumezu
Patience Ozokwor – Head Queen Onyinye
Camilla Mberekpe – Ozuluonye
Nuella Njubigbo – Emeka Wife
Ernest Asuzu – Ignatius
Gaddiel Onwudiwe – Okuagbammiki
Ifeanyi Azodo – Solo
Lucky Ovuakporaye – Permanent Secretary
Ugezu J Ugezu – Moore
Junior Pope – Pam
Sebastian Ikpoza – Bankole
Ed Nnasor – Ogbaji
Patrick Amadi – Eleki

Themes:
Royalty
Polygamy
Materialism
Karma
Charms

My Rating 50%

Ignatius and Kenneth are Princes from a royal polygamous family. Ignatius’ mother is the first wife Head Queen Onyinye, while Kenneth’s mother, Ozuluonye is the King’s second wife. Kenneth and Ignatius are as close as full brothers as well as cherishing each other’s mothers as their own. Onyine is not happy with this close relationship between the boys and is intent on causing discord by planting seeds of jealousy into her son’s head to make him want to compete with his brother rather than working alongside him. Her manipulation is successful and very soon Ignatius is well under his mother’s control.

The head queen is very materialistic thriving on grand displays of wealth and raising her son to be the same way. We see her son Emeka being chastised for not having a car as though his lack of material wealth reflects badly her. One day Emeka goes with his brother Kenneth to buy their respective mother’s gifts of lace. Emeka’s mother snarls in disgust when she is handed her gift, exclaiming, “What rubbish! Where did you pick this thing from?” On the contrary Kenneth’s mother chastises him for spending so much on her encouraging him to save for the future as opposed to spending on material things. We see the difference in the two mothers. Ozuluonye is selfless and puts her son’s needs before her own whereas Onyinye is selfish and concerned with how outsiders look on her son’s financial situation.

Kenneth excels in business where his brother fails. We can see that this is a direct result of their mother – son relationships. Emeka fails in business because of his mother’s never ending preoccupation with trying to look better than Kenneth and his mother, which causes him to seek fast money through gaining contracts by bribery whereas Kenneth takes his time putting together good solid proposals to win contracts and does not take short cuts.

*************SPOILERS*************

Things between the brothers really take a turn for the worse when Kenneth falls on hard times. It is then that his brother turns his back on him. When Ignatius was in his time of need Kenneth lent him 2 million naira. He even borrowed some of the money which Ignatius lost after being duped by 419′ers. We then see how even though Ignatius had secured a 16 Million contact weeks previously he refuses to led his brother 1 million telling him that he does not have it.

It is not a lack of generosity that afflicts Ignatius but rather his mother’s influence in feeling that he must be one step ahead of his brother. That very same day that he refuses to give Kenneth the money he offers to take out a staff member on a night out with all drinks and women paid for. When the said employee expresses disapproval at the way Kenneth is being treated, Ignatius tells him,

“Survival of the fittest.”

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I felt that Ignatius’ character was poorly developed. We should have seen more of his arrogant and selfish side in his early interactions with Kenneth. In the end we find out that the clock is the key to all the issues that the couples in the movie are having. It is given to the head queen under the premise that, “Any house this clock hangs in will know no peace… Everything will go anti clockwise.” Every time charms are used in a movie it is because of some evil, bitter and twisted woman. *Yawn* bit bored of it. If I had known I wouldn’t have bothered watching, or bought the sequel Royal Coup. Yes there is a continuation!

I am indifferent about recommending this movie. Part 1 is very slow. It was not holding my attention and I stopped and started it so many times. That is always a bad sign when you have to force yourself to plough through a movie. It is just one of those ones that isn’t really bad but at the same time  you just don’t care enough about. There is a good moral to the story in that Karma is a Beeeyotch but overall it was a story and message that has been flogged to death. Watch it if you have it but don’t go out of your way to get it!