The movie Drag him to the altar by fire by force has not been
premiered but has been made available for viewing on www.vimeo.com.
The movie is available to rent or buy at less than the cost of a McDonalds Big
Mac. I commend the Producer and Director for bringing Nollywood into the light
in a different way and in fact making a revenue stream from Nollywood Movies
and at a very affordable price for people to watch. I bought the film on my
phone, but I watched it HD on my TV and I have the film to keep. I believe
Nollywood is an evolving industry and those that invest in making these movies
should have a way of getting returns on their investments so that they are able
to hire the best cast and crew and pay these people when they come to set.
Enough of work and no pay in Nollywood.
I believe that some movies should be premiered, but if at the
end of the day, the movie dies after the premier, then it is not worth it, as
from my experience, I know that most premieres do not bring return on
investment as many people get free tickets and do not pay. However, giving
people an opportunity to watch the latest UK Nollywood movies in their houses
or on their way to work on their TVs, Tablets or phones is a welcome idea
especially when they are affordable. Please don’t get me wrong, some premieres
have had record numbers in attendance and have done well and the producers have
plans for monetary streams and that is alright, but we need as an industry to
think beyond premieres and how money can be made. That is what is done in the
Hollywood industry and it is time for Nollywood to rise and take the bulls by
the horn so I add my weight of support to this idea. You can watch this movie
too at your leisure by buying or renting online on https//vimeo.com/ondemand/draghimtothealtar.
Storyline:
This is a hilarious movie about a couple Ade (Ferguson Jack) and Shola (Sylvia Ebuwa Ibie)
who have been engaged for 11 years with a daughter of 20 years but are not married. Shola
is desperate to get married to Ade on a certain date
and Ade is a typical playboy having extra marital affairs and is not ready to
get married.
Shola
sets her wedding date without the consent of her Ade.
His reluctance to tie the knot forces her into resorting to extreme measures;
with hilarious unforeseen consequences. This movie is full
of humour and a must watch.
In
my view, watching this movie, I could relate with the principal characters Ade
and Shola. In these days and age, marriage is seen as
important in the African setting unlike in the western world where people are happy with a living arrangement. Shola’s desperation is also understood
as she wants that magical status of being a Mrs while Ade cannot be bothered
and is happy the way he is. The storyline is simple to
follow and is relevant as shown by the concluding statements. God’s
time is always the best and
for instance they say in
Yoruba, what you are actually looking for far away in
the Northern part
of Nigeria called Sokoto making you travel all that far has always been with you in your trousers,
so it is important to be
patient and indeed look inside and appreciate what you have.
Cast: The movie was written by Nelson Spyk and directed by
prolific Director Ruke Amata. The film showcased both new and existing UK
Nollywood cast including boasted of loads
of experienced Nollywood actors and included Ruke Amata (Pastor), Sylvia Ebuwa Ibie
(Shola), Ferguson Jack (Ade), Brun Njua (Akwa Ibom),
Van Vicker (boyfriend), Shepman Mcluvin (Wizkid), Nonso Nwaiwu (Sirit of Restitution), Abigail
Fatty ((Dianne), Ramatu Karuma (Fatima), C-Ong Kilmanjaro (High Priestess), Lanre Balogun (Oba), Debbie Cudjoe (Olori), Gift Boyo (Olori).
I think that the
casting was balanced but one or two people could have pulled their weight more
and stuck to the character and role they were given. If you are Yoruba stick to
being Yoruba and if you are Ibo, don’t try and be Yoruba. I need to mention one
or two characters that sold the movie to me and made it worth watching. Sylvia
played the lead role and did she play it well, I could not fault her. She is
one to be watched in the industry and I encourage her to keep trying to make
herself even better. In this movie, the Director got it right with Nonso.
Although he had a minor role to play, it’s not about the length of time but
about the quality and Nonso also for a lack of a better word killed his role.
Well done sir. Your natural humour added value to the movie.
To the rest of
the cast of the movie, I say well done. I see a lot of potential amongst the
cast and with the right encouragement; I see them doing even better. My advice
is this, when you have been casted, act for yourself the role you have been
given and let your bathroom window be your audience. Look for someone that
would tell you the truth about your acting, your diction etc. and don’t be
afraid to take positive criticisms, it only makes you better.
Picture
Quality: Generally, the picture quality on my television was top notch, but as
you know, I look for and see petty things. I like the fact that certain scenes
were censored and the word censored written so we could use our imagination. I
also liked the cinematography with relation to getting into and entering the
temple, the way people appeared or disappeared, BUT on one occasion Ade was
leaving the temple, I don’t know what happened, but instead of just disappearing,
he was still in the limelight on the background for a few seconds. That is just
me. I look at everything and see petty things. But that said top notch picture
quality.
Sound
Quality: Again the sound quality was generally good. However, I don’t know what
happened with the temple scene. There was a scene where Shola was in the
temple. We had hitherto been hearing all she had been saying. When she was in
the temple, the voice of the priestess was clear and the voice of Shola and her
friend dipped and was low.
I
must commend the fact that even where the scene was shot outside, there was no
interference with the sound. The voices of the cast were clear and I don’t know
what happened but well done!! Also although there was some music going on in
the background, it did not sink the voice of the cast. The music was stopped at
the appropriate time to allow for the voices of the cast. Again, I say that the
production team got that right and I say well done.
Overall
performance: To me I enjoyed watching this
movie. It was not so long, but I could not get off my seat. It was well
balanced, clear and concise and not too long. The movie stuck to a central
theme from beginning to the end and you could predict one or two endings, but
most importantly it was easy to follow.
I would like to commend the Director Ruke Amata who himself came out of retirement to play the role of the Pastor, and
the entire cast and crew for a job well done.
The question remains if I would recommend this movie. Without
a doubt, I would recommend people not to rent but to buy this movie so they can
have a laugh anytime they want to. The message is loud and clear and just in
case you did not get it, in two lines the theme was summarized.
Once again I say well done!!
Watch
the trailer:
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