Heal My Soul

Nigerian Movie Review
Heal My Soul ~ 2010
Story – Chiejina Ephraim Onyemaechi
Screenplay – Obi Ted Xavier, Nkem Alu
Director – Chiejina Ephraim Onyemaechi
Producer – Chiejina Ephraim Onyemaechi

Starring:
Olu Jacobs – Obasi Nigerian Actor
Jim Iyke – Chidiebere Nigerian Actor
Uru Eke – Mabel
Maureen Ihua – Edna
Mercy Johnson – Chioma
Yvonne Nelson – Jane
Ali Nuhu – John
Uju Aroh – Eva
Chiejina Ephraim Onyemaechi – Musa
Wilfred Ajayi – Jide
Susan Ekwe – Stella
Edmund Quarshie – John Paul

Themes Explored:
Family in african Movies
Infidelity in african Movies
Injustice in African Movies
Lack of respect in African Society

My Rating – 37%

Chidi played by Jim Iyke is the wayward son that keeps on bringing his home into disrepute with his area boy ways despite his privileged background. His father Obasi has had enough and ends up throwing him out of the house, telling him return back to school. His mother on the other hand ends up feeling sorry for her son and allows him to go and stay with her sister, his aunt until school resumes without her husband’s knowledge. He is reluctant to go even there but has no choice. His mother wishes that she never sent him there when she finds out that Chidi has been locked up for attempting to rape his cousin. Will this guy ever be reformed?

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

Chidi is finally released when his parents beg his aunt to release him for the sake of the family name. EFF Family name she should have left him there to rot! How will the guy ever learn his lesson if he keeps on getting bailed out? His parents were way to soft on him and just gave him license to go and repeat his actions. His mother and father were saying they wanted to deal with the matter themselves. How did they deal with the matter? They didn’t do a darn thing!

The movie is watchable but I just didn’t get the point of it. It seemed to have no focus or direction, like the whole thing was being improvised as they shot. Wee see Jim Iyke in his typical wanna be American thuggery despite the fact that his parents are wealthy and he does not live in America. His behaviour did not even make sense. There was nothing to give us a clue as to why he was the way he was. When his mother sends him to his aunt he is walking out of the house ranting and raving at her even calling her a, “playa hata.” That was just weird. Is the guy supposed to be mad or what? Because no sane person would behave like that. Is it America that is supposed to turn sane people insane? Why only America?
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Mercy plays Jim Iyke’s main chick until a new girl comes along. So you know it is par for the course that she exclaims “my loooorve” every other sentence. I actually find her catchphrase kinda amusing and you can’t hate on Mercy because she is one of the best in Nollywood. I do noot know why she keeps lowering herself to act in crappy films like this though. Mercy be more selective please!

Back at school Chidi is a girl juggler. He is juggling both Chioma played by Mercy Johnson and Mabel played by Uru Eke. The whole story about him going from one girl to another and playing them off against each other, drags and is highly unoriginal. Disappointed that Uru is in this rubbish too. I had hopes of seeing her in something good after Widow’s Men. First Friends in Love and now this. So So disappointing. On the plus side her make up was looking very good. Very subtle and highlighted her beauty fantastically.
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Whoever thought up this story wasn’t even thinking like any person with sense. A lot of it was just ridiculous. Chidi tells Chioma that she should tell Mabel that they are soulmates because he won’t tell her. Instead of Chioma to get upset with him she plans to attack Mabel. We also see Chioma catch Chidi and Mabel in bed together. He jumps up and begs Chioma, “Please its not what you think!” After Chioma leave he turns to Mabels and tells her he has nothing to do with Chioma. On what planet does any of this make sense? You just begged one girl in front of another and then turn to the one you dissed and say you know nothing of the other and she believees you. Riggght.

The films ends with Chidi and his Mama in the hospital after his mother gets herself involved in a brawl that he was a part of. What mama is going to be thugging it out on campus brawling with her son? Really? I mean it was so unbelieveable to me. I don’t even know what to say. It is kinda funny when I think about it though.
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I would not recommend this movie. It is just about watchable and has its comic moments but overall it was an epic fail. The storyline involving Ali Nuhu and Yvonne Nelson didn’t tie in well with the main storyline which was already shaky to begin with. Most of the times I was just wondering what they were doing there. There is even a continuation. The nerve of it. Can you imagine? I will not be watching.