Entries tagged as ‘Oge Okoye’
Bitter Generation
Originally uploaded by NollywoodForever
Bitter Generation ~ 2009
Story – Lucy Awoji (Big Sister)
Screenplay – Chinedu Ejike Obim
Director – Ifeanyi Ogbonna
Producer – Stanley Ebonine
A Soul Rise Production
Starring:
Olu Jacobs – Mr Oskos
Ini Edo – Adimka
Oge Okoye – Uche
Ali Nuhu – Kazie
Augusta Iheanacho Isaac – Stella
Kevin Uvo – Chris
Uju Aroh – Happiness
Nazareth Jesse – Titi
Ifeanyi Onu – Chidi
Stanley Ebonine – Osaro
Ed Nnasor – Odinaka
Stellamaris Emore – Nkiru
Okoye Emeka – Dan
Micheal Godson – Kanayo
Nonso Okereke – Kpanko
Junior Pope Odonwodo – Chima
Themes:
Family
Murder
Promiscuity
Sibling Rivalry
Campus Cultism
My Rating – 57%
Kazie gets involved with a bad boy on campus. While dining out one day with his babe on campus he unknowingly beats up a guy who is the head of a notorious cult. This results in him dropping out of school as to escape the wrath of the cult. His family are bewildered by his actions and he refuses to tell them the reason behind his absence from school. His parents spend their time trying to figure out what is happening with their son and Adimka runs around campus trying to cull the excesses of her wayward sister Uche. Soon a family tragedy brings them all together and the focus in their lives changes. Now there is only one question. WHO DONE IT?
*************SPOILERS************
Ali Nuhu being miscast
In the opening scene we see Ali Nuhu as a bad boy, diamond earring and all. He is even swearing. Let me just say it once loud and clear – MISCASTING to the highest degree. When will whoever is casting this guy in these roles realise that he does not fit them at all? It was not believable to me at all, just made me cringe a little bit. In the opening scene he is out with his girl and a guy comes and says that he has a message to give the girl. Hear Kazie (Nuhu),
“She’s not going anywhere tell us what the fucking message is!”
It was such a WOW! moment. Even the “menacing glare” he adopted was sooooo NOT menacing, hence the quotation marks. Then to top it off he goes to beat up the same guy with some kung fu moves. WOW again! He has a bright yellow shirt on and was looking like some prissy ballet dancer or something, and you are meant to be a bad boy? *snicker snicker* Watch out for Ali kissing his teeth too. That is a comedy moment for sure.
The guy tried though and to his credit this is the best performance of his that I have seen despite the miscasting. There is a scene between Kazie and his mother where he threatens to sell the house and shoves her. That was the most passionate performance of his that I’ve seen.
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Lacefront wigs
Adimka (Ini) and Uche (Oge) are sisters. You would have thought they were twins with the matching lacefronts, the wigs looked a hot ass mess. Oge’s was bad but Ini’s was absolutely disastrous! I know I have said it before but I NEED to say it again. These lacefronts are not THA BOMB, but they do look like you have been involved in a bomb explosion. They look like the old skool big ol yardie wigs where they would glue the tracks right onto the front of their heads. In fact these wigs are even worse because not only do you get that very fake hairline but you also get the horrible wispy bits in the front. They call them baby hairs Na wa ooo!
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The movie is watchable, so I would recommend it. In part 1 I was ready to turn it off. It seemed to have no direction and was rather boring. It did however pick up tremendously in Part 2. There was more build up of tension and intrigue introduced to the point where when it finished I was PISSED because I wanted to know so badly what was going to happen next and the movie didn’t finish. No doubt there will be a continuation where it will turn into a murder mystery. The sound leaves much to be desired as it is echoic and up and down and I believe that it could have been made into two parts and just cut out most of part 1 as it did not seem that relevant to the plot. I will be looking forward to watching the continuation as I believe it will be much better than the first two parts.
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A Note to add:
Lately it seems like nothing but rubbish is coming out. I have about 10 movie reviews with regards to movies that I watched over Christmas that I have not yet posted, I haven’t felt particularly compelled to because they were mostly junk or slightly above junk levels. I know people will come screaming blue murder that all the latest reviews are lows scores but I am simply telling it as it is. Someone being a nice person isn’t reason enough to cast them, even if you are sleeping with them, if you cast them and they are rubbish prepare to be told. Simple! If so much junk wasn’t being put out. I wouldn’t be able to be giving these low scores. It is very disheartening to write back to back reviews with nothing scoring higher than 70%. Yes many are watchable but I am craving something great… excellence, not even perfection but a production that has a very good go at it. Bring on Bursting Out, Holding Hope, Ije, Tango with Me, Private Storm, Memories of My Heart, Home in Exile and Nollywood Hustler! Nigerian Movies Nigerian Movie Review Nollywood film
Categories: A-B · Film Reviews · Watch? Yes an ok movie
Tagged: Ali Nuhu, Augusta Iheanacho Isaac, Chinedu Ejike, Chinonso Okereke, Ed Nnasor, Emeka Okoye, Ifeanyi Ogbonna, Ifeanyi Onu, Ini Edo, Junior Pope, Kevin Uvo, Lucy Awoji, Micheal Godson, Nazareth Jesse, Oge Okoye, Olu Jacobs, Stanley Ebonine, Stellamaris Emore, Uju Aroh
Sinful Game
Originally uploaded by NollywoodForever
Sinful Game ~ 2009
(Continuation called A Brother)
Story – Ifeanyi Onyeabor
Screenplay – Ifeanyi Onyeabor, John Dunu
Director – Ifeanyi Onyeabor
Producer – Pascal C Ezenwa
Starring:
Oge Okoye – Nnenna
Ini Edo – Nnenna sister
Sandra Achums – Janet
Chigozie Atuanya – Chima (Akila)
Benita Nzeribe – Phina
Larry Koldsweat – Papa J
Peter Bunor – Pastor John
Chinelo Enigwu – Joy
Jim Lawson Maduike – Nnena Father
Pope Stan U Ndu – Uzezi
David Uba – Emeka
Blessing Okonkwo – Ozioma
Linda Ojere – Diana
Themes:
Prostitution
Family
Poverty
Economic Migration
My Rating – 69%
Jeanettes mother treats their home like a whore house. Men pass in and out and it is only a matter of time before she is laying on her deathbed dying of AIDS. Her father already dead, alnd having no siblings Jeanette is no and orphan. She has no family to speak of. Despite making a promise to her mother to be a “good girl” the cycle continues and Jeanette makes big money by becoming a prostitute in the city.
Chima is a village boy done good. He owns a shop in the village and is doing well, that is until he meets Nnena. Nnenna is his money hungry girlfriend who ends up duping him. He gives her all his money to hold and she flees with it. With nothing to lose Chima follows one of his friends to Lagos to get his hustle on in the big city. His first job is cleaning cars in traffic. This is how he meets Jeanette.
Jeanette and Akila as Chima is now called connect when he cleans her car windows in traffic. Feeling pity for him she wants to help him and gives him her card telling him he should call her should he ever need anything. They meet up and from there they become like brother and sister to the point that they refer to themselves as such. Akila fills a void in Jeanette’s life and for the first time in a long time she feels as if she has family.
*************SPOILERS************
Oge Okoye I loved as the money hungry razz village babe. I was impressed with Chigozie Atuanya too. I have only seen him in slick village roles to it was good to see his versatility and booooooy did he play local like he had never left the village. One scene between the two that had me in fits of laughter was when Chima gives Nnenna 1000 Naira instead of the 15,000 that he had promised her. She searches him from top to bottom and finds a wad of money in his back pockets and starts a big ruckus about it before counting out 15,000 and leaving. Benita Nzeribe has put on a little bit if weight and she definitely looks better for it.
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Chima! What an idiot. You have seen from the beginning that Nnena is money hungry. The girl searched your whole person for money and grabbed it. The girl even sent her sister to pretend that she was sick and needed money for medicines all to extract money from you and then you go and give her your life savings to “hold.” Mugu! He even deserved to be robbed for such stupidity.
One thing that I did not fully understand was Jeanette’s interest in Akila. I understand that she craved familial ties and he filled that void but WHY HIM and not one of the other car washers and why at that particular time in her life? What drew her him and why did she want an adopted brother as opposed to sister, mother or father? Did he remind her of someone? What was it? I ask this also because there was no obvious spark between the two on first meeting and it is important for us to see how their strong attachment formed.
Even when they are supposed to have this strong attachment it does not ring true, He doesn’t behave like a brother towards her; in fact the way he is throughout is the way he is in the beginning, like she is a stranger. There is no chemistry between Akila and Jeanette so it doesn’t even make sense to me why she is acting all emotional over the guy. Is it bad casting or was this behaviour intentional on the part of the filmmakers? Perhaps it will become obvious in part 2 why Akila is quite nonchalant towards Jeanette despite everything that she has done for him.
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The movie starts off badly in that the credits roll in different fonts and sizes. Fonts styles and sizes should be kept consistent. If the first thing a viewer sees is messed up credits it sets in your mind that if even simple credits can’t be got right then the rest of the film must be equally as shoddy. More and more we are getting less value for money. They are splitting films up into smaller and smaller parts in order to get more money from the viewer, both parts of this movie amounted to about an hour and a half and then we see the advertisement for the continuation “A Brother.” Realistically both films should have equated to 2 parts not 4 parts. We also see “Coming Soon HOMOSEXUAL FATHER, SISTERS SOUL” trailing across the bottom of the screen. It is so annoying.
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I would however recommend this movie. It was entertaining and I loved the village scenes at the beginning of the movie in particular. There is a good build up suspense throughout the movie and even though you will probably be annoyed that the movie ended as it does, when you see the preview for “A Brother” you will be dying to see what happens next. The razz village babe Nnenna is back on the scene and I’ll definitely be watching to see what drama she brings!
Categories: Film Reviews · S-T · Watch? Yes an ok movie
Tagged: Benita Nzeribe, Blessing Okonkwo, Chigozie Atuanya, David Uba, Ifeanyi Onyeabor, Ini Edo, Jim Lawson, John Dunu, Larry Koldsweat, Linda Ojere, Oge Okoye, Pascal Ezenwa, Peter Bunor, Pope Stan Ndu, Sandra Achums
Sincerity
Originally uploaded by NollywoodForever
Sincerity ~ 2009
Story – Stanley Ebonine
Screenplay – Ruth Kadiri
Director – Ifeanyi Ogbonna
Starring:
Oge Okoye – Joanne
Yemi Blaq – Chris
Amaechi Muonagor – Chief Ezekwe
Ruth Kadiri – Adanna
Chioma Toplis – Juliet
Angela Okorie – Becky
Collin Richards – David
Nneka Okonkwo – Precious
Nwosu Diligence – Nnachi
Chigozie Atuanya – Rowland
Themes:
Family Relationships
Dehumanisation of house help
Abortion
“Saving Face”
My Rating – 76%
Adanna is the cherished only daughter of Chief Ezekwe. Being the only girl in the midst of three boys that are studying in the US she is the apple of her father’s eye and he will do anything for her. This all changes when she falls pregnant two months before she is supposed to go to the US herself to study at the prestigious Harvard university.
Adanna goes to have an abortion at a hospital that her father built and is refused. The news gets back to her parents and all hell breaks loose in her house. They order her to take them to the house of the one who is responsible for the pregnancy and she takes them to a guy called Chris’ house.
Chris immediately denies even knowing Adanna in front of her parents as he has just recently proposed to his girlfriend Joanne and this will obviously complicate matters. Her father is very angry and leaves her there in Chris’ compound after disowning her. She has no choice but to stay there and endure the hell that she is about to be put through by Chris and his girlfriend too when she is let in on his indiscretion.
*************SPOILERS*************
I don’t know how Adanna didn’t figure out that her father would know she was pregnant when she was refused the abortion. She must have suspected something was up but we never see any evidence of this. When her father comes into the house angry and screaming her name she is bounding towards him joyfully like she can’t see the man is full of rage. She is portrayed as naïve but this is beyond naivety and into the realm of stupidity.
There is a huge focus in the movie on how the pregnancy affects the parents and their good name as opposed to how the pregnancy will affect Adanna, after all she is the one that has to deal with the pregnancy and the resulting baby. This is very common in Nollywood and perhaps reflective on Nigerian society in general whereas one family member’s action reflects on the whole family. On finding out Adanna is pregnant her mother exclaims, “You have killed me!” Her father wails, “You have brought me shame!”
In the scene where Adanna sees her mother on the roadside you would think she would take that time to confide in her, after all her mother tells her that she has long forgiven her. Instead she makes it out like she and Chris are a couple and that she is only looking rough because he lost his job. Was she trying to save face to show her family she can a amount to being more than a “slut” as her father called her or was she trying to protect her mother from her father’s wrath?
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After Chris confesses his infidelity to Joanne they agree they agree that he will take her in as a house girl. Joaanne tells Adanna that she is welcome to stay as long as she likes providing that she undergoes a D& C. Why would Adanna agree to performing such when Joanne behaves in such a vile way towards her? However despite the abuse she does stay because she has nowhere else to go having been disowned.
Joanne plots on how to teach Adanna a lesson, rather than focusing on the guy that cheated on HER, This is common in Nollywood and among all women in general. It is preposterous to think that a person who did not know that you even existed and has no loyalty to you deserves punishment over a man that made promises to be faithful to you and broke that commitment. Nevertheless Joanne is soft on her man and hard on Adanna. Talking about Adanna to her friends she says,
“She cannot come to reap where she did not sow. I will show her.”
In another scene Chris goes beserk when he catches Adanna hugging a young man at his front gate. What kind of rubbish is that? It seemed like he and Joanne wanted to get rid of her so you would have thought that that would have been their perfect opportunity but instead they flog her. What is their business? I would have expected Joanne to get upset with his minding so much about another chick getting caught with a guy, but she seemed oblivious to the implications and joined in on the flogging. She should have delighted in such an incident taking place and encouraged Ada since she seemed so scared of Chris being snatched from her.
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We see how one act namely the act of Chris and Adanna having sexual intercourse can change one’s life forever. Chris exclaims, “I planned my whole life now it has been blown apart.” There is a serious message on display here which to have safe sex with casual partners as well as the warning that one must think about the consequences of ones actions before undertaking the action.
The result of that singular action is that Ada has been disowned. She is pregnant with no support from her family and being abused by the man that got her pregnant and his girlfriend. Chris has to support two women and is at risk of jeopardising the relationship with his fiancée, and also his son in the future if he continues to maltreat Adanna. Joanne has to deal with another woman and child in what would have been her marital home. The effects are devastating and wide reaching.
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I am loving Ruth Kadiri. The only other time I saw her was in Wild and Dirty which incidentally she also did the screenplay for as well as starring in. She played the inoocent, naive girl very well which was greatly helped because she does have an innocent look about her.
Amaechi Muonagor was on point. He was excellent as the strict father. My favourite scene of his was when he dumps Adanna in Chris’ compound. The dialogue, his expressions… The whole scene was very realistic.
The character development in the case of Chris was done very well. His character was complex in that is he is not an all bad person but a person that does bad things due to circumstance, and trying to keep Joanne happy. We see him gradually begin to ponder upon his actions and revaluate his behaviour.
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One major boo boo for me was a scene in part 2 when Chris is mulling over and regretting his actions towards Adanna and they have someone else doing the voice over…. Ohhh noooooo! BOOO BOO! The voice is not even similar. The accent is thick and the guy stumbles over half his words. Why couldn’t they just get Yemi to do the voiceover? Chimoooo!
Another weird thing that happened was when Oge is arguing with Chris and calls out BASTARD. The word was bleeped out Jerry Springer style. I’ve never seen that happen before and I’ve heard the word bastard in other movies. Are the censors getting strict or what?
There was a good use of music to set mood and build dramatic tension without being overbearing. We see this effective use of music to build tension in the scene where Chris finds the heavily pregnant Ada passed out after being poisoned by Joanne.
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I would recommend this movie. It was highly enjoyable and after all the trash I have been watching it was like a breath of fresh air. The picture and sound were good and even though the story wasn’t original it was executed well. I thought the cast did a great job and there were no weak links. By the end of part 2 the movie does not end and no sign of Chigozie Atuanya either so no doubt there will be a continuation. Not really a big fan of dragging out movies into so many parts, but I’ll definitely be looking out for it as this was one of the better movies of this year for me. THUMBS UP! Nollywood Production Watch Nigerian African Movies Movie Reviews Review Lagos Idumota
UPDATE
I finally got to watch parts 3 & 4. I really liked this movie and they really ended it off nicely, no open questions. Ruth Kadiri was excellent as Adanna she is definitely one to watch out for. One thing that did bug me though was when Adanna throws her boyfriend out of the house, where was that? It didn’t look like the same living room in Chris’ house and that was where she was living.
Categories: Film Reviews · S-T · Watch? Most Definitely!
Tagged: Amaechi Muonagor, Angela Okorie, Chigozie Atuanya, Chioma Toplis, Collin Richards, Ifeanyi Ogbonna, Nneka Okonkwo, Nwosu Diligence, Oge Okoye, Ruth Kadiri, Stanley Ebonine, Yemi Blaq
Anointed Liars
Originally uploaded by NollywoodForever
Anointed Liars ~ 2009
Story – Stephen Anozie
Screenplay – Paul Anyaegbu
Director – Innocent Chinagorom
Starring:
Oge Okoye – Cynthia
Mona Lisa Chinda – Ann
Rose Onyebuchi – Ikaete
Funke Akindele – Flora
Dan Ugorji – Jerry
Manfred Uche – Sam
Stella Idika – Doris
Pitchman Akuta – Brother Dan
Lilly Ebeh – Lucy
Edyl Anoele – Mama
Cynthoon Manta – June
D.D Jameson – Gilbert
Ndubuisi Onwuemena – Gideon
Dan Adili – Livinus
Paul Anyaegbu – Robert
Uche Chibuzor – Misete
Maureen Uche – Uru
Uche Okonkwo – Habekuku
Stephen Anozie – I.K
Kelechi Ude – Driver
Ndukwe Ude – Abino
Chizoba Okeke – Attendant
Themes:
Ritualism
Charms
Fraud
Mugu
Christianity
My Rating 19%
A bunch of con artists comprised of a bus driver and two fake passengers scams an unsuspecting Reverend Sister, played by Oge Okoye on a bus. The bus driver tricks her into thinking that a female passenger is carrying illegal money. He refuses to let anyone off the bus and threatens to go to the police to hand over the money.
It is then that the woman carrying the dollars confesses to having thousands of dollars in the Ghana must go bag because she stole it from her fiancé, who obtained it as a result of rituals, who mistreated her and refused to marry her after 7 years. She says that she is willing to share it if one of them can neutralise the charms.
This is where another passenger who is in on the scam tells them that he knows a “man of God” that can neutralise the charm. The Reverend Sister does not want to be involved initially but eventually she is persuaded by the others as she believes that perhaps the man of God can find “her husband.”
*************SPOILERS************
If you are wondering how a nun can have a husband, believe me I was wondering about that too. Cynthia the nun explains that it is a “long story.” It is a story that we never get to actually hear.
There were so many stupid things that happened in the movie. When Cynthia refuses to be involved in the money sharing initially one of the fake passengers tells her,
“Have you thought about what dollars can do for you? Wait!”
She then waits and is listening to them persuade her and even though she tells them,
“I’m not interested in that money. That money is devilish.” She is still standing there. The woman who is pretending to have stolen the money then tells her,
“Sister please you can’t leave me.”
This whole exchange is downright RI-DI-CU-LOUS! Since when does one beg to give away thousands of dollars in Nigeria? If Cynthia didn’t want it there would be more to share amongst them. Of course it was a scam but anyone would have realised as such if they were being begged to take money.
When Cynthia goes with the other fake passengers to the man of God she is given a drink which is spiked. When she is unconscious she is robbed and wakes up in hospital. We see her being treated by her friend Ann, played by Monal Lisa Chinda, who is a doctor at the hospital and recounting her ordeal. She tells the doctor that she thought the drink they gave her was “Just water.” Ex-Cah-yooooouuse me? How is water deep deep red so deep it is almost purple-black like red wine?
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The doctor Ann has her own story to tell. From here the movie goes into Ann’s story, and we never even go back to Cynthia’s story. Her story is even more stupid. The basic premise is that Cynthia had a fiancé that was duped. She too by default was duped because she listened to what false “prophets” were telling her and her fiancé to do. She sold her family’s houses to give the prophet money to wipe a curse from her (that never existed), trekked to Abuja to be duped again and in the end lost her fiancé when he was killed in a bar brawl after confronting the conmen.
She meets another man Sam who recovers her family’s houses. Lets be serious how nonsensical is that? What did he do? Did he buy them back? She sold them to get money. It wasn’t like they were sold by someone else. She then marries him but he goes to the USA and has been missing for 3 years. She is still waiting for him although her cousin is intent on hooking her up with someone else then surprise surprise! One day he turns up with a story about being locked up in prison in America and they are reunited.
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We see how people use the supposed word of God to fit their own agendas. Cynthia is being toasted by all the brothers in church. Brother Dan tells her that they are meant to be together because he was told by God. When Cynthia expresses her disinterest he tells her,
“Don’t you believe in the word of God again?”
I am surprised that Cynthia does not fall for this line considering that she sold two houses to give money to some fraudsters who claimed that by selling the houses her fiancé would win a 2 million dollar contract. After losing all that the fraudsters send her to Abuja to be conned again. That is what you call a true mugu!
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I would not recommend this movie. Jerry played by Dan Ugorji was simply awful. At one point he is trying to chat up Ann and reeling of lines about her beauty and not even looking directly at her when trying to woo her. I had high hopes in the beginning. I was looking forward to seeing Funke Akindele in an English language film and she wasn’t bad but her part was minimal. If I closed my eyes I would have thought that I was listening to Kate Henshaw Nuttall. There was no structure to the movie and the storyline that it started off with was abandoned and never resurrected. It could have been good were the hold fraud storyline properly executed. Other questions I had were, why did they have Oge play a Reverend Sister? What was the point of that? Who was her husband? What is her story? In short a waste of time!
Categories: A-B · Film Reviews · Watch? No bin it!
Tagged: Charms, Chizoba Okeke, christianity, Cynthoon Manta, D.D Jameson, Dan Adili, Dan Ugorji, Edyl Anoele, Fraud, Funke Akindele, Innocent Chinagorom, Kelechi Ude, Lilly Ebeh, Manfred Uche, Maureen Uche, Mona Lisa Chinda, Mugu, Ndubuisi Onwuemena, Ndukwe Ude, Oge Okoye, Paul Anyaegbu, Pitchman Akuta, Ritualism, Rose Onyebuchi, Stella Idika, Stephen Anozie, Uche Chibuzor, Uche Okonkwo
Blood Game
Originally uploaded by NollywoodForever
Blood Game ~ 2009
Story – Chibueze Ucheama
Screenplay – Okey Okoh
Director – Okey Okoh
Starring:
Ini Edo – Mirabelle
Oge Okye – Vivian
Jim Iyke – Lanre
Jim Lawson Maduike – Papa Mira
Tina Anuziam – Mrs Graham
Mary Data Uranta – Empress
Ijeoma Chukwu Njoku – Omono
Prince Iyke Nkwuenu – Tunde
Emenem Mc Donald Uba – Timi
Benson Okonkwo – Okey
Nelson Okoroafor – Tony
Henry Chukwudi – Tito
Austin Comte- Student
Themes:
Campus
Jealousy
Politics
My Rating: 60%
Mirabelle and her two friends Empress and Vivian are hot girls on campus. They have plenty of men and money at their disposal. When Mira spots Lanre, a new student on campus she falls for him almost immediately and decides to make a move. She is used to getting what she wants and so she is perturbed when a mystery girl interrupts her getting close to Lanre not once but twice. One night at a club while she is talking to Lanre the mystery girl interrupts their conversation and drags him away to go and meet someone. Mira flips and later on when she sees the girl headed towards the ladies she decides to follow her and confront her. What happens next turns her world upside down.
*************SPOILERS*************
Gender Roles
We see a reversal in gender roles. In the beginning of the movie the girls pick up some dudes from a club and then after a night of passion throw them out in the morning,
“My friend, get your things and get out.”
We see the guys in the morning begging the girls to be friends and to meet again while the girls try and tell them that it was a one time physical thing and nothing more. Is this supposed to be women’s empowerment I wonder? I think it is supposed to be. On campus Tito approaches the three girls with a proposal to sleep with one guy from Holland for a stack of cash. They clearly are not averse to sleeping with random men as we have previously seen, but it is the control aspect that gives them the thrill. They tell Tito,
Men don’t choose us. We choose out Men.”
This statement is very telling. The promiscuous behaviour, the callousness is not done out of physical lust or need for intimacy but out of the need to feel the power that a man feels. Perhaps driven out of a need of powerlessness felt living in a largely patriarchal society?
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The scene where Mirabel killed Lanre’s sister was so unbelievable. Why are people always dying in Nollywood movies form one simple shove and a head bang against the wall? No struggle for life nothing. We have seen this before in Somewhere in the Heart where Awole was given a slight shove, knocked her head against the wall and died. Yes of course this can happen, but most times a simple push is not going to kill someone! And when she is pushed she falls to the floor and is sitting up so perfectly and dead. I mean I’m not an expert on the dead but I expect a dead body to be lifeless and slumped.
Mirabel has made a huge mistake because the girl she has killed in a jealous rage over a guy that was never even her’s in the first place turns out to be his sister and NOT his girlfriend… Eiwoooo! Wahala dey. Empress wants to go to the police but Vivian advices them to keep quiet as they have heard that there are no suspects, which would make it easy for Mirabel to get away with the crime.
Vivian in the movie is so insensitive. If you know your friend has just committed murder and feels guilty about it as the person she killed was the sister of the guy she supposedly loves why would you even wonder why she is not eating, or why she looks depressed. Vivian tells Mirabel,
“For the past two days you’ve not been eating. You are beginning to piss me off.”
ER hello! She just killed someone mindlessly for a stupid azz reason. Why wouldn’t she be disturbed by that? Leave her to starve. She is hardly skinny… 2 days will not hurt her!
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UniLAG looks like hot party central. Mini dresses, 4 inch heels, full make up and sun glasses. I have not attended a centre of Higher Education in Nigeria so I don’t know if it really like this. So for those in the know… Is this really the way it is?
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Mirabel is obsessed with Lanre and one day she sees Vivian being dropped off on the campus by Lanre to meet her and Empress. She is consumed with rage and jealousy and instead of listening to her friend’s explanation wages war against her, and here is where Mirabel loses her mind. I guess she figured that she has killed one person already, what difference will another make?
Vivian is loyal to her friend and has no intention of dating Lanre, but due to her friend’s hard headedness drops hints to suggest that she is indeed dating Lanre even though she isn’t. This is her downfall as Mirabel is ready to finish off anyone that stands between her and Lanre. She calls a reconciliation meeting with Empress present, but has another trick up her sleeve and the plan is already underway when she finds out that Vivian is not really dating Lanre!
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I would recommend the movie. It wasn’t anything too fantastic but it was entertaining to watch Mirabel act so crazy over a guy that she had barely spoke two words to. One thing that I did not understand that was included was the part where Mirabel’s politician father warns her not to have or talk to any friends anymore, as he didn’t want any scandals to taint the upcoming elections. This whole concept was poorly executed. If she is going to school with these friends how will she suddenly not talk to anyone? Wouldn’t it make sense for him to just tell her to be on her best behaviour and finished. Instead he comes with all this palava about moving into a house by herself and not talking to any person at all! Of course none of this she even did so it was pointless. All three girls performed well, and the crazy contacts Ini was wearing added to her devilish character.
Categories: A-B · Film Reviews · Watch? Yes an ok movie
Tagged: Austin Comte, Benson Okonkwo, Campus, Chibueze Ucheama, Emenem Mcdonald Uba, Henry Chukwudi, Ijeoma Chukwu Njoku, Ini Edo, Jim Iyke, Jim Lawson, Mary Data Uranta, Nelson Okoroafor, Oge Okoye, Okey Okoh, Politics, Prince Iyke Nkwuenu, Tina Anuziam
Jealous Princess
Originally uploaded by NollywoodForever
Jealous Princess ~ 2009
Story, Screenplay and Direction – Nonso Okonkwo
Starring:
Van Vicker – Sam
Oge Okoye – Nneka
Chika Ike – Mercy
Ikem Chude – Mike
Biola Ige – Muriel
Stan Amandi – Edwin
Rose Ofuzim – Mother
Rita Daniels – Juliet
Ekene Ukadike – Andrew
Samgenta Igbokwe – Gateman
Sunny Davids – Bar Extra
Themes:
Jealousy
Obsession
My Rating 41%
Sam and Mercy are happily married but have fallen financially on hard times. One night Sam reluctantly gives a woman called Nneka whose car has broken down on a dangerous road, a lift. He gives her his card and she contacts him at a later date. At first Sam is delighted as Nneka offers to connect him to the right influential people that can help him revive his business. She appears to be an angel but it is not long before her devilish ways are exposed.
************SPOILERS*************
Oge’s dad’s grey hair looked really fake. Since his acting wasn’t too good. I was wondering why they wouldn’t just get an older man to play the character if indeed the hair was fake.
A lot of the lines in the film were highly unoriginal, overused clichés that made me cringe. I think Nonso Okonkwo should have got help instead of trying to do the whole movie himself. Let me give you some examples:
“Learn to keep that thing in between your legs in check.”
“Opportunity comes but once, grab it with both hands.”
“Life is full of ups and downs. There is always light at the end of the tunnel.”
Aside from the lack of creativity in the dialogue there was also the problem of using words where they didn’t make sense. I always maintain the stance that if you don’t know what something means or are even slightly unsure, CHECK or DON’T USE THE WORD. We see Sam telling Nneka about his money troubles on their first meeting after he gave her the lift and she says,
“You are quite open minded, are you always like this?”
How does open minded come into it? OPEN? Yes that would have fit the situation. OPEN MINDED? No. Alternatively they could have used the word FORTHRIGHT, FRANK, or HONEST, but OPEN-MINDED… I don’t think so! Small details like this really help in making an OK movie kind of crappy, as this kind of thing looks sloppy.
In another scene Nneka tells Sam, her husband’s best friend,
“I feel that he’s having an affair with that girl Nneka.”
He replies,
“What? Are they having an affair?”
DUH!! Did she not just say that she feels that are having an affair and you are asking her back the same question. Nonsense! Again the script needed much work.
It seems funny that Nneka turns up to Sam’s house all the time uninivted and the door is always unlocked. Nneka was obsessed with Sam and he never reciprocated her affections. Even when she leaps on him to kiss him he fights her off, so to me it didn’t make sense that after she attempted to force herself on him she would say to him,
“Why did you kiss me?”
And he reply,
“I wasn’t in my right senses.”
I watched closely and he didn’t kiss her back, so what is this discrepancy between what we see and what is scripted? Again… SHODDY!
I would not recommend this movie. It was watchable but I can’t find much good to say about it. The story was ok and for the most part easy to follow but descended into madness and chaos at the end. It was as if they couldn’t work out and ending, so just put any random ending for the sake of ending. Andrew played by Ekene Ukadike had a small role and couldn’t even pull that off. He was very unconvincing. Biola Ige was as awful as she was in THE SHEPHERD. Van played his usual doormat role, which I for one am getting completely bored with and Oge and Chika did the best that they could, given what they were working with.
Categories: Film Reviews · I-J · Watch? Only if bored
Tagged: Biola Ige, Chika Ike, Eken Ukadike, Ikem Chude, Jealousy, Nonso Ekene Okonkwo, Obsession, Oge Okoye, Rita Daniels, Rose Ofuzim, Sam Igbokwe, Stan Amandi, Sunny Davids, Van Vicker
Twilight Sisters
Originally uploaded by NollywoodForever
Twilight Sisters ~ 2009
Story – Oby Somina Okafor
Screenplay – Oby Somina Okafor & Amaechi Ukeje
Director – Ugezu J Ugezu
Starring:
Van Vicker – Micky
Oge Okoye – Alicia
Emeka Enyiocha – Joe
Andy Chukwu – Pastor Frank
Cassandra Odita – Mrs Davies
Ada Ameh – Mabel
Nnadi Ihuoma – Angel
Uche Elendu – Havilla
Tom Njemanze – Micky’s Dad
Ifeanyi Nnaso – Buddy
Zubby Egwu – Bruno
Ijeoma Azuka – DPO
Okwudili Oguegbu – Angel’s Friend
Sharon Umoh – Micky’s girl
Ndidi Diala – Chief White
Oby Somina Okafor – Soso
Gloria Mba – Emem
Azimma Juliet Eboh – Joan
Walta Anga – Charles
Somina Anthony – Lucy
Oluchi Egbuska – Mimi
Martins Phil Odili – Doctor
Sylvia Amaso – Jane
Fugene Odu – Mark
Themes Explored:
Campus Life
Cultism
My Rating – 37%
The movie is named after the female cult that feature in the film. They are called the Twilight Sisters, perhaps because most of their cult like ceremonies are performed at twilight, or perhaps not. It is more than likely the makers just thought that the title sounded good. I digress.
The leader of the Twilight Sisters is Soso. Soso is in conflict with her boyfriend Joe’s sister, Angel. Angel is continuously battling with Soso to leave her brother alone. She believes that Soso is a bad influence.
In a bid to make Angel’s life a misery Soso enlists the help of Charles, a known ladies man. His job is to seduce Angel, make her fall in love and then dump her. The plan backfires and Charles and Angel fall madly and deeply in love, much to the chagrin of Soso.
After Charles and Angel fall for each other we see Charles’ ex girlfriend Alicia’s brother Micky goes and threatens Charles to get back with Alicia. He also goes to threaten Soso because he believes she is leading Alicia astray.
*************SPOILERS*************
We then see Alicia and Mickey who are brother and sister get thrown into jail for Angel’s death. When they come out their mother is dead. On the other hand Soso leaves university but not before her younger cousin Havilla is inducted into the sisterhood by force. It is not long before Havilla turns from a coy church girl into a fearsome campus cultist.
Havilla has her eyes on Charles and mkes it her mission to seduce him. When he rebuffs her in anger she beats up Angel causing her death. She then starts seeing Joe and finds out deep into their courtship that Angel is his sister. She is racked with guilt and confesses. She then is thrown into jail and Alicia and Mickey released. It is only at the end of the movie that amends are made between herself and Joe’s family.
This one is a campus cultism flick a la Black Bra and War Game. The only difference being that this movie is NOWHERE near as good as the previous two mentioned. This movie was very poorly executed. Too many storylines made it very confusing to watch, and much of it did not seem integral to one central plot. It was just a mish mash of mess.
Overall I get the message that was trying to be sent out, which was basically “Whatever is done in darkness shall come to light” but the vehicle in which it was done was shoddy. The sound was bad varying hugely between scenes. The chemistry between members of the sisterhood was not natural and felt false. The dialogue didn’t flow and much of it felt disjointed. It did however get better and pick up slightly in part two as the story began to flow more, and intrigue added to the plot but still the flaws screamed at me like a new born baby seeing light for the first time.
There was one scene in particular that I thought was nonsense. Havilla goes to see Soso for the first time and Soso on seeing her with bags in her hands asks her what the bags are for,
“My mother bought some things for you.”
Please note that Havilla does not give any indication of what is in the bags, and Soso replies,
“She shouldn’t have. I don’t really need them.”
She then tells her to leave the bags outside on the doorstep. The camera pans over the bags and they are closed, leaving no indication of what is in them so how does this make sense? It would have made more sense for Havilla to have indicated what was in the bags or for a bag to have ripped open accidentally.
Van Vicker was cast as a bad boy cultist. How ridiculous! His attempts at playing the tough guy were pathetic. I don’t know if it was the cliché ridden lines he was given or simply his acting. Put simply he was very unconvincing and more comedic that anything else. The majority of the supporting cast were less than mediocre. Uche Elendu and Oby Somina Okafor were the standout performances for me in this movie. They were the only ones that had characters that felt believable and we not addled too much by the poor script and plot.
In short I would not recommend this movie. It was a watchable, as in I got to the end of it without slitting my wrists, but it’s best you save your money if you love yourself.
Categories: Film Reviews · S-T · Watch? Only if bored
Tagged: Ada Ameh, Amaechi Ukeje, Andy Chukwu, Azimma Juliet Eboh, Campus, Cassandra Odita, cultism, Emeka Enyiocha, Fugene Odu, Gloria Mba, Ifeanyi Nnaso, Ihuoma Nnadi, Ijeoma Azuka, Martins Phil Odili, Ndidi Diala, Oby Somina Okafor, Oge Okoye, Okwudili Oguegbu, Oluchi Egbuska, Sharon Umoh, Somina Anthony, Sylvia Amaso, Tom Njemanze, Uche Elendu, Ugezu J Ugezu, Van Vicker, Walta Anga, Zubby Egwu
Holy City
Originally uploaded by NollywoodForever
Holy City
Story, Screenplay and Direction – Ilochi Olisaemeka
Starring:
Jim Iyke – Haruna
Oge Okoye – Angela
Mike Ezuruonye – Chibuzor
Emeka Amakeze – Ndubuisi
Biola Ige – Nneka
Chiendu Oga – Johnson
Oyin Omar – Ibrahim
Oniah Francis – Papa Haruna
Prince Nwafor – Eze
Malechi Chukwudebe – Mark Zero
Jonathan Gana Gana – Chief
Chidi Chijioke – Boss
Augustine Okeke – Ichie
Elochukwu Obinna – Landlord
Emmanuel Obi – Abubakar
Queency Asogwa – Abu’s wife
Chinedu Odinachi – Driver
Gabriel Obi – Vendor
Themes Explored:
Religious Hypocrisy
Loyalty
Islam
Christianity
Jealousy
My Rating: 81%
Angela is betrothed to Chibuzor, however Haruna’s constant presence around Angela becomes a burning issue with Chibuzor. The relationship between the two is innocent. Haruna was friends with both Angela and her friend Nneka in secondary school; however a prank gone wrong ended in Haruna getting expelled from secondary school. He goes from and excellent student with a promising future from a wealthy background to a school drop out serving suya in a restaurant to fund his future studies. It is a turnaround indeed.
Feeling extreme culpability for the state of Haruna’s present lowliness Angela and Nneka join heads to make amends for their past actions, lavishing Haruna with gifts and attention in a bid to assuage guilt. In a fit of jealousy Chibuzor warns Haruna to stay away from Angela and so the battle begins. The stakes ever so more clearly defined as Haruna is a Muslim and Angela is a Christian. The backdrop is 2006 and religious war is taking place in the North where Muslims are killing Christians. In the East where the story takes place reprisal attacks begin.
*************SPOILERS*************
Jim Iyke plays Haruna a Muslim, I assume he is meant to be Hausa, but the realness of the character is lost by the fact that he is an obvious Igbo and wearing robes and injecting “Walahi” into every other sentence while rocking a strong igbotic accent does not do much to convince the viewer that he is in fact a Hausa or a Muslim at all. The film would have been better served to get a true Hausa to play this role or at least some one who could roll with the accent convincingly. Apart from this flaw he played his role well with the understatement that such a character needed.
I think the girl that played Nneka was Biola Ige, (please correct me if I am wrong) the same girl that was appalling in The Shepherd. I can’t be 100% sure as a surname was not attributed to her in the credits. Anyhow if you were expecting any growth… DON’T she was just as bad in this movie. Thankfully she did not feature enough to spoil the whole thing.
Emeka Amakeze is brilliant as Haruna’s Christian friend and sidekick. He convincingly shows shock and bewilderment and we feel it deeply as a man is killed in front of him. After the killing he walks whilst mulling over the series of events that have taken place before him. He breaks down crying showing a subtle display of emotions that is more heartfelt that the dramatic overstated play of emotions that so often characterises Nollywood films.
This scene is the turning point in the movie and the point at which one begins to truly question the sense in killing in the name of religion. We see in Ndubuisi’s display of emotion that all men are essentially the same regardless of religion. We all have the same feelings, fears, hopes and dreams. We see men who were once as close as brothers and who played football together on a pitch, where they stood equally and where there were no differences forcefully divided by religion and occurrences that happened far away from them.
In the end the police are the heroes. This made me chuckle. I wondered how true to life this scenario could be? Call me cynical but I just could not see that happening myself.
I would definitely recommend this movie. The soundtrack was on point, melancholy and very similar to the mosque call and so tied in perfectly with the tone of the movie. My only gripe would be that sometimes dialogue was sometimes too low and could not be heard. This was always at crucial moments, and you know at crucial moments you don’t want to be rewinding and fiddling with the volume button!
The cast in general were a great bunch and worked well together. The movie was enjoyable to watch and had a bold and powerful message. We are all one regardless of religious affiliation/non affiliation or superficial labels that have been placed on us, often by birth. It emphasises the pointlessness in religious warfare, and the hypocrisy involved. There is a nice twist and at the end justice is served, and loyalty takes precedence over blind and discriminate faith.
Categories: Film Reviews · G-H · Watch? Most Definitely!
Tagged: Augustine Okeke, Biola Ige, Chidi Chijioke, Chiendu Oga, Chinedu Odinachi, christianity, Elochukwu Obinna, Emeka Amakeze, Emmanuel Obi, Gabriel Obi, Ilochi Olisaemeka, Islam, Jealousy, Jim Iyke, Jonathan Gana, Loyalty, Malechi Chukwudebe, Mike Ezuruonye, Oge Okoye, Oniah Francis, Oyin Omar, Prince Nwafor, Queency Asogwa, Religion, Religious Hypocrisy
Coincidence
Originally uploaded by NollywoodForever
Coincidence ~ 2008
Story – Maxwell Leonard
Screenplay – Maxwell Leonard & Akachukwu Ibeh
Director – Chimdi Chiama
Starring:
Patience Ozokwor – Nkechi
Oge Okoye – Mary
Nonso Diobi – Kingsley
St I.J – Johnson
Diewait Ikpechukwu – Okonkwo
Joy Helen – Ogochi
Ifeanyi Azodo – Don Christo
Kingsley Nnorom – Kelvin
Chizzy Okiche – Ann
Sandra Anosike – Ego
Elo Abokia – Mary 2
James Akabuogu – Ifeanyi
Jude Ugwueze – Rev Richards
Andy Offia – Rev Frank
Amarachi Chinwe – Sandra
Browny Igboegwu – John
Angel Stephen – Chrystal
Chinedu Dibor – Sgt Wife
Ngozi Onyemesi – Ndulue’s wife
King Uzor – Gabriel
Muj Bamidele – Manager
Themes Explored:
Rape
Murder
Forgiveness
Arranged Marriage
Religious Hypocrisy
Prostitution
My Rating 20%
Mary and Kingsley are childhood sweethearts. Mary’s mother is not in favour of the relationship as Mary has been promised to another man. The family are indebted to him as he put Mary through school and takes care of the family’s financial needs. Their families are virtually at war with each other and so they make the decision to keep their relationship on the down low and start meeting each other late at night when no one will see them.
The relationship is short lived as a series of events follows that changes the life course of all those involved.
I had high hopes for this film. I like all the main actors usually, Patience, Oge and Nonso. The film started well, but my instincts were completely wrong!
In the first scene we see Nkechi, Mary’s Mother fighting in her neighbour’s compound, She starts off the fight by asking,
“Where is your useless son?” before they two women begin tussling and trading insults.
The scene is bold and dramatic and makes you pay attention. Straight away we know Patience is playing the bad ass mother and that she doesn’t want her daughter seeing her neighbours’ son for whatever reason.
In the next scene we are introduced to Mary, played by Oge Okoye. We see her looking glum and pondering. We hear her introduction through internal monologue,
“My name is Mary; Mary Daniels. This is my true life story. A part of me I’d love to hate. A part of me I hate to share. Like my mother always said the road to hell is broad and attractive, before now I have lived my life differently.”
Mary has a story to tell about her life and if you want to watch the film you too will be tortured by the ridiculousness of it all.
*************SPOILERS*************
One night Mary and Kingsley meet late at night to meet in one of their meeting spots somewhere. Kingsley tells Mary a story that is about to change course of her life. He basically tells her a story about a girl called Mary who was raped by criminals who broke into her house. Not only that but her mother and sister were raped too and her father killed. He tells her the story just before they leave each other leaving her with a smile and a “Don’t worry baby! It’s just a story.”
Now correct me if I am wrong but what type of story is this? Why would you be telling a “story” like this in the first place? Where the hell did the concept for this film come from? Oh yeah Maxwell Leonard. He even got someone to collude with him on this sham of a movie and write a screenplay with him. Why would a man tell his girlfriend such a horrible story in the first place? And give the lead character that got raped in the story your girlfriend’s name? Oh and the girl that got raped had a sister too just like Mary does. What kind of man would do that?
Then to top it off the girl would just sit there, listen, nod and walk home by herself, not even yell “I reject it in Jesus name!” or “Tufiakwa!” or “Hell no It’s not my portion!”
Of course the story translates in real life and her house in broken into. She, her mother and sister are raped and her father is killed. Kingsley is accused of carrying out people to perpetrate the crime and hauled of to prison. He denies any involvement and Mary is devastated that he could carry out such a dastardly plan against her.
She decides to obey her mother’s wishes and marry Johnson, the man who put her through school, however he decides that he does not want to marry her. Without Johnson or her father’s support the family are soon in a dire financial situation and it is left up to Mary to provide.
By Part 2 Mary is a prostitute. We see no progression or how she ended up like this we just see her in a club drinking, smoking and picking up men.
Drug Abuse
Mary becomes a cokehead, and again we see an abysmal portrayal of drug taking. Mary puts some rocks into a sheet of paper rubs it together as if she is rolling a spliff, pours out the powder (the rocks have miraculously turned to powder with few rubs) onto the table and rubs her nose in it. No cutting of the drug into lines. No realism.
Religious Hypocrisy
She meets a Catholic Priest, who is one of her clients. She is in awe of him, even coming out with such nonsense like,
“I cannot imagine myself as dirty as I am to sleep in the same bed as an ordained man of God.”
Now why not? Is he not doing the same sinning as you? Or even worse since he is the one that made a vow to God.
It is not even clear if they have sexual relations with each other as this same man of God then says he has come into Mary’s life to deliver her from her life of sin… Yeah right. Only thing that would be more ridiculous then this whole scenario would be him telling Mary that she is the re-incarnated mother of Jesus. This is the same man that has a prostitute in his house and then goes ahead to leave the priesthood because he wants to marry her. NON-SENSE! HE then answers her and defends his actions by saying,
“We are all sinners, born into sin.” He even tells her as if to excuse his behaviour,
“You even share the same name with the holy mother.”
Mary has gotten herself involved with a drugs baron to ease her debts (I assume), as while prostituting she robbed a man and owes money.” She is stressed about the whole situation. Quite why I don’t know, her involvement with Don Christo is not explained properly. For reasons that are not completely understandable she tries to hang herself in the priest’s house and is caught just on time by him. At the hospital she finds out she is HIV, since when? This storyline does not even tie into anything.
At the end we find out that it was the priest that raped Mary, her sister and mother and it was Johnson who sent them. Now why would Johnson have sent a band of robbers to rape Mary? This was before he even came to take her hand in marriage. Utter utter stupidity! We don’t get any timeline but from bad boy cultist in university and a robber/rapist a man becomes a fully fledged priest. Na wa o! Even giving a gap of two years in between the rape and the priest meeting Mary, that is not enough time for a proper transition.
On knowing Kingsley is innocent Mary rushes to the jail to go and save him. She, her mother and sister beg him for forgiveness. He is really laid back and tells them,
“To err is to human, to forgive is divine.”
Now lets think about it. You have been locked up for who knows how long and your parents have been killed as a result of you being a supposed rapist (their murder made no sense either) and you are sitting there so relaxed and chilled. RO-BBISH! They are all happy that they have been forgiven and then Kingsley announces,
“Hey there is a party waiting for us at my house.”
They all rejoice at his announcement and the film ends. This was the stupidest ending ever. The whole thing was ridiculous.
I would definitely not recommend this film. Not only was the story stooooopid from beginning to end it was boring and draggy. I watched it in four different sittings because I kept falling asleep. Oge and Patience tried their best you could tell, however there was but there is so much they could do in TRASH. Chizzy Okiche was flat and lifeless and Jude Ugueze as the priest was pretty unconvincing. The music was too loud for the dialogue most of the time. There was a was a 7 minutes club scene with Yahooze blaring in the background where there was dialogue that I could not make out. The time line was not even vaguely clear. They tried to bring in too may subplots that were poorly executed. Overall the whole thing was sloppy sloppy SLOPPY. I salute myself for even managing to get through it!
Categories: C-D · Film Reviews · Watch? No bin it!
Tagged: Akachukwu Ibeh, Amarachi Chinwe, Andy Offia, Angel Stephen, Arranged Marriage, Browny Igboegwu, Chinedu Dibor, Chizzy Okiche, Diewait Ikpechukwu, Drug Smuggling, Elo Abokia, Ifeanyi Azodo, James Akabuogu, Joy Helen, Jude Ugwueze, King Uzor, Kingsley Nnorum, Maxwell Leonard, Muj Bamidele, murder, Ngozi Onyemesi, Nonso Diobi, Oge Okoye, Patience Ozokwor, prostitution, Rape, Religious Hypocrisy, Sandra Anosike
November 10, 2008 · 1 Comment
Originally uploaded by NollywoodForever
Black Bra
Story – Nwafor Anayo
Screenplay – Chuks Obiorah
Director – Andy Amenechi
Starring:
Nonso Diobi – Frank
Adaora Ukoh – Leader Laura
Uche Jombo – Nelly
Oge Okoye – Irene
Sabina Mole – Edwina
Portia Nwachukwu – Francisca
Onny Michael – Caleb
Oscar Rodondo – Nonso
Linc Edochie – Phillip
Themes Eplored
Patriarchy
Feminism
Rape
Cultism
Retribution
Gender roles
MY RATING – 80%
The opening scene of the film is with the leader of a group- the Sisterhood of the black bra – initiating some new recruits. The premise is that the group exists to “fight chauvinism.” The new recruits are given a beatdown, the reasoning behind it that they will become fearless and will “never fear being beat by a man..” the whole situation is reminiscent of being online in a black Greek Letter Organisation, the pledging/rushing process that takes place across colleges in the USA.
In the next scene we see one of the black Bra sisters (named after the undergarments that they clothe their breasts in) visiting a guy’s house. He persuades her to come and have a look at his place. That is her intention but when she wants to leave he wants her to stay longer. She gives her excuse to leave, “I don’t normall yvisit guy’s houses.” His response is laughable, “But you know I love you…We have known each other for a good two weeks.”
WHOA!!! Love in two weeks… NONSENSE! ROBBISH! This guy is ridiculous! So many times I watch these films and it is always some booolsheeet the guy is talking about. Walking in a supermarket, meeting a woman and falling in love in ten seconds, and then professing that they know the persons character and want to spend their life with them… Like I said before and I’ll say it again… NONSENSE! I have to substitute the word love for fancy in my head because some of these scenarios are just too stupid and the love word is thrown around far too casually.
So back to the film… This guy who claims he has fallen in love with the Black Bra sister in all of two weeks leans in for a kiss, causing the girl in question to jump up,
“What is the meaning of all this?”
This same guy who was claiming love is now ready to rape his “love” It appears premeditated and he even has a knife to make sure there is no struggle. She does however struggle and is overpowered. After the rape he tells his friend about what had just occurred, to which his friend remarks,
“How could you. I thought you really loved her.”
The rapist is unrepentant, seeing her body as his right and says,
“My love for her does not mean I shouldn’t make love to her. Stuff like this happens everyday in school.”
He has no remorse for his actions. In fact the commonality of rape in his eyes makes it ok, even know that he knows it is a shameful thing for her to have to deal with, adding in his conversation,
“The shame of it all will not allow her tell anybody.”
This is where the power of the Black Bra sisterhood comes in. when they hear about what has happened to a fellow member payback is eminent. They roll up on campus with 3 girls a car and some guns. They find the rapist, take him to a dirt track road and point their guns,
“Pull your clothes off!”
This is payback and he gets a taste of how Nelly, the girl that he raped was made to feel. He feels the shame when they take him to the middle of the crowded campus and let him out of the car wearing only his underwear. As he is thrown out of the car the crowd jeer and mock. He spends time afterwards depressed and crying to his friend about the situation,
“You can’t imagine the humiliation and shame!”
I liked this film’s portrayal of rape better than any other Nollywood film I’ve watched in the sense that although this guy believed he was entitled to the girl’s body when he was explicitly told no by her, after he is attacked by the sisterhood, we see him receiving a fraction of the shame that she must have felt. It will make guys who think like him perhaps think more about their actions and the effect that rape can have on the victim.
In the meantime Frank is busy toasting Irene. He relentlessly pursues her with gifts, love letters, declarations of love, meals and taxis to school. It is when he remembers her birthday when it seems that nobody else does that she eventually falls for his charms. The sisters get him beaten up but still Irene wants to be with him so they decide to keep an eye on him to make sure he does not treat her badly in any way, instead of trying to put her off him.
Sex is used as a tool to conquer…
Frank spends all his time and money to get Irene to fall in love with him so he can basically sleep with her. When he does this he is ready to dash her aside and move on. We see his friend ask him, “What’s next?” to this he replies,
“Catch a new girl of course.”
After they sleep together Irene is even more affectionate and gooey eyed around Frank, whereas he is cold and aloof. It appears that her sisters have been proved right about him.
While Frank is determined to “catch new babes” Irene is becoming overly possessive. She controls what clothes he wears and what time he returns to his room on campus. There is a complete gender role reversal. We see Irene behaving in the way that Frank was at the beginning of their courtship. Frank tries his utmost to get new girls but everyone knows that Irene is his girl and the reputation of the Sisterhood of the black bra so they evade him like the plague.
Finally after numerous indiscretions Irene dumps Frank but warns him that if he will not be with her he will never have another girl on that campus. Frank is over the moon at this news and excited about his newfound freedom, leaving Irene distraught and wondering where she went wrong.
The film ends with both Frank and Irene dead. Irene is shot by some thugs that Frank hired, on realising that he could not get any other girl as long as she was still around and Frank is shot by members of the black Bra to avenge Irene’s death.
I felt the ending let down what was an otherwise good, solid film. It was over the top and as if the makers didn’t know where to go with the ending and just thought of killing off the characters Romeo and Juliet style but without really exploring what they were doing and why.
The film teaches us that women need to get to know who you sleep with before giving your all as the man could just be out to bash and dash you. It also teaches men some valuable lessons about the humiliations of rape.
Categories: A-B · Film Reviews · Watch? Most Definitely!
Tagged: Adaora Ukoh, Andy Amenechi, Chuks Obiorah, cultism, Feminism, Linc Edochie, Nonso Diobi, Nwafor Anayo, Oge Okoye, Onny Michael, Oscar Rodondo, patriarchy, Portia Nwachukwu, Rape, Retribution, Revenge, Sabina Mole, Uche Jombo
Shock
Originally uploaded by NollywoodForever
Shock
Story - Chimezie Oguzie
Screenplay – Nnkem Alu
Starring:
Patience Ozokwor – Udoka
Saint Obi – Aloy
Nonso Diobi – Daniel
Oge Okoye – Oge
Tony Anya Soso – Ndu
Uche Elendu – Eva
Obinna Onuegbu – Tony
Lillian Donatus – Janet
Oluchi Okechukwu – Uzoaku
My Rating – 75%
A widow, Udoka lives with her two sons, alloy and Daniel in perfect harmony. Very soon her eldest son’s wife returns from Youth Service to join the family. They have long awaited her arrival and welcome her with open arms.
The first sign of discord that can be seen in the relationship between Aloy and Oge is when Oge mentions working. Aloy is not keen wanting her to hanve a stack of children first. Pertubed Oge approaches Udoka who agrees to talk to him
Categories: Film Reviews · S-T · Watch? Yes an ok movie
Tagged: Chimezie Oguzie, Film Review, Lillian Donatus, movie review, Nnkem Alu, Nonso Diobi, Obinna Onuegbu, Oge Okoye, Oluchi Okechukwu, Patience Ozokwor, Saint Obi, Tony Anya Soso, Uche Elendu
Solid Affection
Originally uploaded by NollywoodForever
Directed by Ikechukwu Onyeka
Story by Oluma Okonkwo
Screenplay by Tai-Emaka Obasi
SOLID AFFECTION
Starring
Ramsey Noah – Stanley
Oge Okoye – Sandra
Uche Jombo – Patricia
Livinus Nnochiri – Igwe
John Paul Nwadike – Paul
Muma Gee – Jane
Hakeem Rahman – DPO
Vitalis Ndubuisi – Jona
Cassandra Odita – Christy
Florence Onuma – Florence
Themes explored in the film
Lesbianism
Christianity
Patriotism
Justice
My Rating 52%
Stanley has recently graduated from college and is unemployed. His father is constantly on his case about him finding a job. He does find a job with good pay as assistant to a company CEO. The future looks bright; however all that glitters is not gold.
Sandra and her older sister are at loggerheads. Sandra is a born again Christian and is determined to expose her sister as receiving funds through dishonourable means to their parents.
Here are two separate families that are brought together in more than one way.
If you have not watched this film, you may want to stop reading here.
***SPOILERS***
Stanley and Sandra both find themselves employed at Nepa Surulere where senior bosses are defrauding money. They find out and then collect evidence to present to the EFCC in Abuja. However their plan is found out and everybody who has something to gain from the fraud is trying to put a stop to them getting to the EFCC office in Abuja.
Stanley and Sandra are the two main characters and both born again Christians. The Christianity agenda was pushed at every given opportunity and grew to be quite tiresome. Although the aims were to paint Christians in a good light, I just didn’t buy it. It made Christians look like sheep who are unable to think or have any opinion (in my opinion) It didn’t paint Christians in a good light to me.
Stanley’s boss is trying to embark on a sexual affair with him. When he refuses her advances he gives his reason as,
“I can’t I’m a Christian.”
Why couldn’t he say,
“No I don’t want to. I don’t even know you and I don’t believe in casual sex.”
Just saying that you are a Christian does not give a proper answer. It as if you have no brain and have been dictated to… speaking of the verb “dictate”
In one scene Stanley’s boss asks him to be a gentleman and put her jacket on for her. Why did the fool Ramsey look like he’s just been asked to shoot a new born baby? He just stares dumbfounded and doesn’t move. His boss Jane then says,
“Do I dictate hesitation?”
Huh DICTATE? How the hell do you dictate hesitation, if your name ain’t Fidel or Gadaffi? I had to rewind the make sure I heard correctly… Who wrote this script? Oh yeah it was IKECHUKWU ONYEKA. They must have told her to say detect (I would hope anyway.)
So mixed in with all the Christianity stuff was the lesbian storyline. This is getting really common in Nollywood now. Funny, a film about a man to man sexual relationship cannot make it past the censors but all this lesbian stuff is being churned out week in week out.
Ramsey loses his job pretty quickly for not wanting to sleep with his boss. She does refer him onto another company though. I didn’t see what the point of that was as the whole point for sacking him was to punish him for not paying ball, by giving him a job at another company and letting him keep the car and house that he was given, where is the punishment?
Stanley’s new job is as an account manager. His secretary is played by Oge. On her first day Stanley asks,
“Why are you late?”
She then says something about traffic. He then says,
“Are you a Christian?”
Surely there had to be a better way to let the viewer know that they are both born again?
The Christian agenda is pushed all the way through the film. We see one of the police Sergeants that had been instructed to kill Stanley let him go. Stanley asks him why he was freeing him and he replies,
“I am a practising Christian.”
The whole thing is like an advertisement for the church.
A big two hour plus advert.
After the Sergeant frees Stanley, he and Sandra take refuge in a church. They have escaped death and have been given food by the church’s pastor. The good Christians that they are (as has been shoved down the viewer’s throats the whooooole film) they get straight to gobbling and don’t even say grace! SHOCKER! Then to top it off Sandra AKA Virgin Mary (As her sister Patricia refers to her) talks of wanting to see the fraudsters at their workplace “hanged.” Such nice Godly talk? NONSENSE.
I preferred part 2 to Part 1. Part 1 was a little slow. Part 2 is where the tension picks up. We see Stanley and Sandra on the run with the Pastors nephew trying to get to Abuja by any means necessary. Every time it looks like they just might make it something happens to deter them. The pace towards the ending was good, but at the same time the events highly unrealistic.
After making it to EFCC in Abuja they receive 10million each for being “patriots” The EFCC agents come back to Lagos to come and give Stanley’s dad 20 million compensation for reporting fraud in his company 20 years previously and being sacked for it. They also tell Stanley and Sandra they can have any job at any government office. YEAH RIGHT? How would all that happen? There was nothing about being honest or fighting criminals, they just kept bandying the word “patriot” around. It was really used incorrectly in this film.
It was a fairytale ending somewhat, but we never did see what happened with the Lesbian lovers, so that was disappointing considering they played a major role in the film. We never did find out exactly what Pat did for Jane was she just her toy girl? Who knows? Maybe there is a part 3-4. If there is I know I won’t be watching it!
Categories: Film Reviews · S-T · Watch? Only if bored
Tagged: Cassandra Odita, christianity, Florence Onuma, Hakeem Rahman, Ikechukwu Onyeka, John Paul Nwadike, lesbianism, Livinus Nnochiri, Muma Gee, Nigerian Movie Review, nollywood, Oge Okoye, Oluma Okonkwo, Patriotism, Ramsey Noah, Tai Emeka Obasi, Uche Jombo
ONE DOLLAR ($1)
An Ifeanyi Azodo Screenplay
Directed by Gabriel Moses
Starring:
Patience Ozokwor – Mama Nneka
Victor Osuagwu – Papa Nneka
Chiege Alisigwe – Nneka
Bob Manuel Udokwu – Pat
Jim Iyke – Ike
Big Fredo – Chief Achebe
Okwudili Oguegbu – Calistas
Oge Okoye – Isioma
Chinwe Okigbo – Chika
Ify Obidike – Chioma
Larry Koldsweat – Mike
THEMES EXPLORED IN THE FILM
Mental Illness
Status and Class
America as the Promised Land
Family Pressure
MY RATING – 95%
From the title of the film alone you know that this film is going to have something to do with the US of A, but quite what is not immediately apparent from just looking on the film cover.
Nneka lives with her mother and father, and is been put through school by her fiancé whom she plans to marry very soon. Her parents really like him as he has put their daughter through school as well as looked after the family financially in other ways.
One day a man, called Chief Achebe comes to Nneka’s compound and approaches her parents. He has a son that wants to marry their daughter. He shows them a picture and they do not seem impressed. They quickly tell him that it is not possible as their daughter is betrothed to another. Chief Achebe is dassappointed, and mentions that his son is an engineer in America. The turn around is instant. Mama and Papa Nneka exclaim in disbelief,
“Amer-EEE-Ka!”
All of a sudden Pat, Nneka’s fiancé is forgotten and they promise their daughter to the chief. It seems that Nneka does love Pat, so they now have the task on their hand in persuading their daughter to marrying the chief’s son.
America is so romanticised that as soon as even the word America is mentioned, the attitudes of people in the presence of the word, as well as the music in the film changes.
Family pressure and guilt is put upon Nneka. It is put to her as if to marry the man in America will be beneficial for ALL the family and for her not to go ahead with it will be an act of selfishness.
Her mother tells her,
“Your father and I have really suffered.”
They act as though she is selfish, when mama Nneka in particular is the selfish one,
“This is the only opportunity I have to go to America.”
She is also concerned with keeping up with her peers,
“Look how mrs ______ life has changed since her daughter married an American… She is not the same again.”
Her father even uses “God” to try and show why his daughter should marry the American as opposed to Pat,
“I’m telling you America is God’s kingdom on Earth.”
There are many references in the film of America as a “heaven.”
There is not only pressure from her family but from her friends too. She is warned by her friend who is played by Oge Okoye,
Dollar rules the world baby girl, and you are still thinking… Dollar is everything, don’t forget that.”
There is never any mention of her emotional needs but rather the focus is solely upon her material needs and the desire for showing off.
In Chief Achebe’s camp we see him giving a man 50,000 Naira to change in dollars. He tells the man to put the money inside a,
“foreign envelope”
This isn’t the only way he attempts trickery upon Nneka’s family. He also sends her parents a package containing “American clothes,” which in actuality are second hand garments which have been laundered and sprayed with perfume.
It is hilarious when he hands them the package and they sniff the clothes exclaiming,
“The smell of America!”
If you have not watched this film you may want to stop reading here.
*************SPOILERS*************
After much persuasion from family and friends Nneka’s position sways. She begins snubbing Pat, becoming insufferable towards him, and plans are put in motion for Nneka to marry the American. A family member stands in for him at the ceremony so Nneka is married without ever meeting her husband.
When we finally meet The American, Ike played by Jim Iyke we find out why the Chief was so keen to marry him off and to keep the couple apart until after the wedding.
On our introduction to Jim Iyke we see him playing the stereotypical crass American loudmouth wannabe rapper (What a surprise!). He is screaming like a lunatic,
“I’m getting motherfuckin married yo.”
His mental health issue becomes quickly apparent. His mama asks Chief,
“Has he taken his drugs?”
It turns out that without his drugs Ike is uncontrollable and psychotic. The film ends with Ike shooting papa Nneka in the ass amidst a rambling tirade. As Papa Nneka is writhing on the floor in pain he shrieks out,
“Amereeeeeeeeeeeeeka!”
It is as if he is in disbelief that someone that has committed such an awful act against him could be associated with the “heaven” called America. The film serves as a warning not to idealise something that you know little about as the reality may surprise you and literally, or more likely metaphorically shoot you in the ass!
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the film. The only downside was the rushed ending. It was hilarious in parts and highlighted the fact that many things in America are the same as in Nigeria, like the second hand clothes that Nneka’s parents treasured and the money that was changed from Naira to dollars only to be changed back to Naira again in order to be used. It shows that the grass is not always greener. Is sanity not more important than money?
Nollywood - Nigerian Movie – African Movie – Nigerian Film – African Film
Categories: Film Reviews · O-P · Watch? Most Definitely!
Tagged: America, Big Fredo, Bob Manuel Udokwu, Chiege Alisigwe, Chinwe Okigbo, Family Pressure, Gabriel Moses, Ifeanyi Azodo, Ify Obidike, Jim Iyke, Larry Koldsweat, Mental Illness, Nigerian Movie Review, nollywood, Oge Okoye, Okwudili Oguegbu, Patience Ozokwor, Status and Class, Victor Osuagwu
