Monday, 2 March 2015

Review of Obi Emenloye's Thy will be done



The movie Thy will be done premiered at the iconic BFI Cinema at Waterloo on Thursday 26th February 2015. Prominent on the red carpet were Governor Rochas Okorocha, Executive Governor of Imo State, Sir (Chief) and Lady Igbinedion, Esema of Benin, Ramsey Nouah, Mary Njoku, Jason Njoku, Mercy Johnson-Okojie, Obi & Amaka Emenloye, HRH Theodora Ibekwe-Oyebade and Chief Ayo Oyebade, Dayo Amusa, Ayo Sonaiya, Golda John, Ruke Amata, Egor Effiok, Florence Blaster Okonkwo, Danny Erskine, Riyike Alayande, DJ Abass, Toyin Moore, Tolulope Yesufu, Adenike Akeju Osabute, Toksy B, Marie Gomez, Fashionista Mary Shittu, Anthony Monjaro, Emmanuella Ngozi Ideh, Nonso Nwaiwu cast and crew of the movie amongst others. The premiere was hosted by DJ Abass and Pauline Long.

Storyline: Pius (Ramsey Nouah) is a happily married pastor in charge of a large church in Lagos, Nigeria. But when his first wife (Mary Njoku) that he buried 7 years ago suddenly shows up, his world is thrown into turmoil.  
His present wife (Mercy Johnson-Okojie) tries to fight her corner but Pius has a choice to make between his calling and his wives, between old sins and new loyalties, between taking firm action and surrendering to God's will. 

Weakened by guilt and overwhelmed by sensational revelations, nothing would have prepared Pius for how rapidly things would descend into violent chaos, for hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

This storyline was a unique one and I had to ask people around me what they would have done if they were in Pius’ shoes. Left to me, I believe that I would have gone for series of counselling as it would have been an arduous decision for me as a person to take. I commend the script writer for thinking in this direction and the Director for picking the right cast to deliver the message in a simple and emphatic way. Although, I won’t have gone as far as his current wife did, I believe she was just being human. At the end of the movie, there was a well-deserved round of applause.

As a critic and reviewer, I believe that every movie should have a storyline that is clear and concise and one that every viewer understands almost from the beginning. Without a doubt, this movie meets that bill and as such for the storyline, I give a pass mark.

Cast: The movie showcased Mercy Johnson Okojie, Ramson Nouah and Mary Njoku amongst others. The movie was produced by Rok Studios and Directed by UK’s prolific Nollywood Director Obi Emenloye. All I can say about the cast is that there was a balance in the cast. All 3 lead characters put in their years of experience in the movie industry and told the story in the most believable manner. Some of the minor characters also did well and played their role as expected.

However, as a reviewer and critic, I need to be picky. I think some of the minor characters did not really do justice to their roles and made it obvious to people like us who look into little details that their scenes and their scripts were rehearsed.

That said, all in all I give a big kudos to the entire cast for producing such a brilliant movie.

Picture Quality: In my opinion, the picture quality was good. There were no major issues. This storyline was simple and did not require the use of 3D or other technological images.  The picture quality was not shaky and was pleasant to the eyes. I do not have much more to say on the picture quality.

Sound Quality: Again with regards to the sound, I did not have cause for concern. The sound was clear. I did not notice any interference with the sound in any of the scenes. Again no negatives about the sound as it was good.

Overall performance:  As a reviewer and critic, I wear all my hats be it that of a lawyer, a Christian etc. Based on the above, wearing my Christian hat, I had a little issue with the title of the movie especially seeing the way the movie ended. I ask myself when it says “Thy will be done” although the movie is from a Christian perspective, I asked a few questions in the end.
Is it the will of God that a genuine second wife would want to go to the extent of killing her husband and presumed first wife?
Is it the will of God that he throws confusion into the life of a Pastor that had genuinely served him with his life, genuinely believing his first wife and died and marrying another, to lose everything even his ministry?
Don’t get me wrong, the storyline is one that can happen in reality and would put even the most holy person in a dilemma as to what to do so I commend the script writer. In this case, the parties took their choices. Other people may not have acted the way they did, but still some people would have toed the exact same lines, so to me in reality this would have been a dicey situation.
My only critic therefore would be in the title chosen for the movie and NOT  the storyline or the movie itself.
The final question I always ask as a reviewer and critic is if I would recommend the movie. Without blink in an eye or thinking twice about it, the answer is a categorical YES. The good thing about this movie is that it exposes the fact that one needs to be very careful in decisions they make in life.
Although shot in Nigeria and although the 7 years legally expected of a deceased wife had not expired, I wonder what the church would advice in such a situation.
I would recommend this movie, not only to regular Nollywood fans, but to the clergy and to those who actually counsel married couples as it is an eye opener of a situation that may arise out of the blue. What counsel would they be giving, would they be quick to judge the Pastor? Would he be asked to step down even before he vounteers?
I am aware that this movie would be premiered in different countries and I would recommend that once in your city go and watch it. If not premiered in your country, please watch the release on Iroko when it comes live and make up your own mind.
Finally to Obi Emenloye and the cast and crew, well done for another job well done.
Watch the trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nFPn5VO0yI

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