Marshals

Marshals

Originally uploaded by NollywoodForever

Marshals ~ 2009
Story – Chibuzor Emelu Simon
Screenplay – Chibuzor Emelu Simon, Greg Chyke Inawodoh
Director – Kalu Anya

Starring:
Emeka Ike – Andy
Van Vicker – Jerry
Tonto Dikeh – Cathy
Halima Abubakar – Silver
Ali Nuhu – Nick
Queen Nwokoye – Anita
Prince Eke – Emeka
Chukwuma Uchegbu – Braimor
Kalu Anya – Inspector James
Collins Chinedu Okoro – Morris
Mac-Donald Ekemezie – Osmond
Chioma Chris – Tracy
Chibuzor Emelu Simon – Rotimi
Eunan Chidomere – Ukonu
Victor Oguguo – Big Sam
Zubby Michaels – Abe

Themes:
Drugs
Corruption
Chronic Unemployment
Poverty

My Rating – 69%

Andy, Jerry and Emeka are three friends that have fallen upon hard times. Emeka is fired from his hospital job for stealing 11,000 Naira, despite paying 17,000 to secure the job in the first place. Jerry is a lawyer who quits his job in Port Harcourt because he is missing his girlfriend. Only to return and find that not only is she seeing someone else but she is not happy to see him. Andy is a US trained doctor who is getting paid next to nothing working in a local hospital. He is at a dead end as he cannot get a bank loan to start his own clinic as he so desires.

One day a guy called Braimor collapses in the hospital and Andy saves his life. On leaving the hospital he leaves Andy his business card and tells him that he can call anytime and “ask for anything.” One day in a state of desperation Andy calls and brings Jerry and Emeka with him to come and meet Braimor. In no time at all they accept his offer to join his “business enterprise,” believing this a sure fire way to improve their situations in life.

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

Nick is an old friend of the boys. When we first see him he is brandishing a gun on meeting them and it would appear that he is involved in a criminal lifestyle. Thinking that he is a criminal his friends welcome and embrace him with very open arms, wanting to get involved in whatever he is involved in, seeing that as a way out of their poverty stricken lives. Nick reveals that he is not actually a criminal but rather involved in State Security the reaction is one of repulsion,

“Police – Ah!”

“God forbid – Devil get behind me!”

“I’d rather stay a pocket lawyer than go chasing criminals”

What does this say about how the police are regarded in Nigeria, and the levels of crime or fierceness of it?

Nick as a detective finds it difficult to deal with the fact that he always has to appease corrupt officials as well as those with enough cash and connections to get away with their crimes. He expresses his woes to his friends and when he tries to give them forms to fill in for State Security jobs they request to be hooked up with 419ers and armed robbers instead. This scene had me in fits of laughter. Emeka tells Nick, “Wetin now? We no wan be police!”

When the boys actually start making money we see Andy tell the other boys,

“Why did I waste my life on messy, sticky medicine career, I should have been a drug baron my whole life.

We see how chronic unemployment can affect the minds of the youth. To be a doctor is a prestigious, respected profession yet Andy regrets not going into crime earlier. Even though he is fully qualified there was not the opportunity for him to fufill his dream of opening his own clinic and despite his qualifications he was not afforded the opportunity to be paid decently.
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It has to be said. I am not feeling Ali Nuhu ATL ALL. I find his whole demeanour to be stiff and awkward. His voice grates on me. If I knew him in real life I’d probably always be shouting at him all the time, “SPEAK UP!”

I don’t normally like Emeka Ike but I thought that this was a good role for him. It allowed him to showcase his comic ability. It was soooooo good not seeing him in the lover boy role. In one of his funny scenes he shouts at Emeka, played by Prince Eke after taking his shoes off in his room,

“Today I dey battle hunger problem and you are trying to add toxic problem to it. Robbish! Mind yourself well well.”

Van was gisting in pidgin most of the time. His flow was effortless and he was actually a joy to watch. Van was looking very dark. At first I thought it was overexposure to the sun but then on closer inspection is seemed to be make up. If indeed it was make up then that the person applying was very heavy handed.

Tonto was supposed to be frumpy and dowdy, but she was in fact looking anything but. Her make up and weave were nice and subtle and her clothes were simple, classy and fitted. In one scene she was even wearing a boob tube, na wa ooo! What kind of frumpiness is this?

What was the point to Queen’s character? There didn’t seem any need for her to be there. Perhaps she has a bigger role in the part 3 which I have not yet watched.
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I would recommend this movie. It was entertaining but at the same time tackled some real issues, like poverty, crime, and corruption. It was very funny in parts and highly dramatic in others. Van, Emeka and Prince made a good trio and it is a feel good movie in the sense that justice prevails in the end.