Review of Theatre Production of Bangles by Colours Production

The theatre production of Bangles was shown at the Platform Theatre Hornsey Road, London on Saturday 15th November 2014. There were two shows T 3pm and 7pm respectively. Our Lead Reviewer Babs Carew attended the 3pm and screening on behalf of www.babso.org  and reported that the screening had in attendance people of different nationalities and ages and that although the Platform Theatre is a small place, the screening was fully booked with a waiting list. Below is his review of the Production.

Storyline: “Bangles” tells the powerful story of a young British born Nigerian filmmaker and poet, Theresa who is still haunted by memories of her abusive, now deceased father. Despite her best efforts, she is unable to convey the depth of her pain to her stern mother, Gbemi and her cocky, confident brother, David. However, as the second anniversary of her father’s death approaches and familial tensions arise, Theresa and her family are compelled to confront a devastating past in a way which changes their lives forever.

Combining powerful live theatre with searing and unusual film footage, “Bangles” is an innovative multimedia production exploring the timeless themes of reality and perception, bitterness and healing.  After being enslaved for so long, is freedom EVER possible?

The storyline is relevant in this day and age where children have had to bottle abuse without being able to tell anyone and are suffering as a result of it. They cannot move on with life and fin it difficult to trust. The play was written by Michael Ajose, directed by Fana Cioban and produced by Abay Aromire. The rest of the crew consisted of Emma Nan Hu who was the film maker, Petr Vocka, the Lighting Designer, Philip Matejschuk, the Sound Designer and  SiJ in charge of the tracks.

Cast: the cast consisted of three people namely Ama Addison as Theresa, Kemi Lofinmakin as Gbemi the mother and widower and Emmanuel Ogunjinmi as David. Although there were only 3 people in the cast, they studied their roles properly and brought them to light making the whole story believable. I saw raw, natural talent waiting to be harnessed. Ama played the role in such a way that you would believe that she was just replicating what she had been through in real life. Her closing remarks that ended the production were most believable that if you were in the audience, you would have empathised with her and probably even cried. From the beginning to the end, she was in her role and never slipped away. Kemi, what can i say. You played the role effortlessly that i began to wander if you had to manage children in the category you played. You played a natural African, gullible Christian mother. All i can say is well done. Emmanuel, I am sure that in real life,  you are opposite of the role you played, but your steps, your sarcasm, your table manners and in the end your sober nature were all on point.

I would like to commend whoever was responsible for casting for this production. You could not have got better people for those roles. I also commend the Director and the entire crew for a job well done. It was indeed a team effort.

Sound: Although this was a theatre production, the sound quality including those if the images that were shown was perfect. The words were clear and concise and you could follow the production from beginning to the end. Well done!

Overall performance: Watching this production reminded me of pre-Nollywood when i used to watch plays on stage such as Village Headmaster, Aiye, Jaiyesinmi just to mention a few. The timing was meticulous. There were no gaps even when costumes had to be changed. Everyone played their roles perfectly. Feedback from all the people we spoke to was positive. One of the comments said ” well done for the production, I really enjoyed it, really great work and to think it was a 3 cast show, they did well”. Such was the consensus for the viewing I went for, not a negative comment. As a Nollywood  movie reviewer and critic, the production made me want to go back and support our local theatre.

The question remains, if the production which was free on this occasion was advertised for £15 or £20 would i go and watch it or would i recommend it. Without a doubt and without thinking twice, i would take my wife out to watch it. It is 2 hours well spent.

I spoke to the team after the event and discovered it took 3 years to bring the production to light. Getting it right is important and the time spent in developing the production was worth the while. Proper planning they say prevents poor performance and that was the case in this production.

Once more to the entire cast and crew all I have to say is a big well done. I am looking forward to the next production by Colours Production.

Watch the trailer:

https://vimeo.com/109807738

Review of London Premiere of Broken Cross

The movie Broken Cross premiered at the Odeon Cinema Greenwich on Friday 14^thNovember 2014. Prominent on the red carpet were HRH Theodora Ibekwe Oyebade and Ayo Oyebade, Marie Gomez, Tolu Yesufu, Toyin Moore, Danny Erskine, Florence Blaster Okonkwo, Collins Archie Pearce, Daniel Ndlara Robson, Mary Lawal, Malcolm Benson, Toksy B, Julian Sandi, Riyike Alayande amongst others.

Storyline: Broken Cross is an emotional story centred around a young girl Esther. She is haunted by her past upbringing as a child, living with her grandmother and later on joined her mother who lived with an abusive step father, she battles to come to terms with her family breakdown. Her father got married to a jealous step mother, she hates Esther with passion. Esther’s life changed when she stated to suffer a lot of abuse from her step father and this completely turned her life upside down and made a young innocent good girl suddenly turn to be a bad girl, turning to alcohol and drug abuse.

The movie is a mixture of romance, comedy, action, lies & deceit and a little bit of thriller as well. This movie is different from the normal African movies that we watch in that one will not easily make up what is going to happy next.

According to the synopsis of the movie, this movie was set to raise the standard of African movies and to show the world that we can do it to a very high standard. The movie was Produced and Directed by Daniel Ndlara Robson of Star Galaxy Media, a UK based Zimbabwean upcoming Director and Producer.

I would like to start by commending the Director and his cast for effort. It is not easy to come out with a production and bring it to live. Hearing all that happened during the making of the movie, I can only give kudos to the team as this is his first effort. However, If I had not read the synopsis if the film, I would be lost as 20 minutes into the movie, even as a critic I did not know the direction of the movie.

Again the movie ended with a message about teenage pregnancy and HIV. This on its own is commendable, but the storyline should have been written in such a way that it was clear that these were the central themes of the movie. I think in terms of the message, people watching the movie may have been confused and take away the end from the script would have been unable to tell what the central message was. This is a learning curve and hopefully in the next production, these points would be addressed.

Cast: The movie showcased Danny Erskine as George Cole, HRH Theodora Ibekwe Oyebade as herself promoting an NGO, Florence Blaster Okonkwo as the Millionaire widow, Collins Archie Pearce as Jeffrey Rodney, Daniel Ndlara Robson as Danny Bradley, Mary Lawal as Esther Bradley, Julian Sandi as Pastor Bakasi amongst others.

I observed that some of the cast were novel to acting and to the industry. This showed in the way they acted as most of the cast were not actually acting but had just crammed their lines. This is as a result of inexperience. When one is acting, the passion, the action needs to show in the character they play and this was lacking in most of the characters.

Taking an example, if someone is meant to be crying, there should be real tears from the time she starts crying that convinces anyone watching that she is crying. An example of the cast that seemed to cram his lines and in my view was just shouting was Esther’s step dad when she was young.

However, there were positives. In a previous movie, I had commented about  Danny Erskine’s acting skills. However, in this movie, I must commend him. I think the role fit him, I think he studied the role, I think he acted the role, he convinced me and went away from talking into acting, in a nutshell, he nailed his role in this movie. Well done Danny. I am looking forward to you even getting better in subsequent roles that you are given. Collins, although your script was flawed which is not your fault (see my final comments), you also nailed your role especially where you sarcastically caught Danny having an affair with your fiancée. That was sarcastic, funny and real. You brought some life into the movie.

Picture Quality: The picture quality was fair and could be improved more. The aerial views were so bad and in some cases the lighting probably of the camera affected the picture e.g. where the pastor was speaking with Esther’s friend, Fabian. If one is going to premiere a movie, the Director needs to look at the final cut and possibly edit such scenes.

Sound Quality: There were buzzy sounds in most scenes and the sound quality could have been better. However, I commend the effort with regards to effects. The sound quality with regards to the impact of the accident for example was good. With regards to sound, there were good and bad parts.

Overall performance: Firstly, I believe that when writing a script, one needs to research the area of the script. An example is when a client came to Collins in his office, I heard him say “we would not file a counter claim” and immediately as a lawyer myself I wrote “Counter claim in a criminal matter”? At the end of the movie, at the scene of the conference, I also heard “Commit suicide to kill herself”. That made me and those seating next to me laugh and in fact reminded me of the kind of thing the First Lady of Nigeria would say. These are things that should be checked and should not find a place in the movie.

I was shocked that the movie started abruptly and there was no introduction to the movie. This made the movie from the beginning difficult to follow.

In a scene, I also saw a plane flying or landing and at the same time there was someone in the room. I did not seem to understand that overlap, a plane flying in a room, that is novel. In post-production, this should have been eliminated.

Finally, even a member of the cast was confused as the ghost of grandma just showed up and there was no correlation to show that grandma had died.

There were good parts and not too good parts of the movie. While I commend the final scene, the introduction was abrupt. There should have been a link between the scenes to introduce such an important scene with what was possibly the message of the whole movie.

For a first attempt,although in totality, I believe it was a bad movie,  I commend the Director and his team for trying, especially when I heard all the things that happened on set. However, as a reviewer and critic, I need to write what I saw. I believe taking these points on board, the next production can only get better and I wish the team all the best in future productions.

Watch the trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRUobaMg4ms

The premiere of the movie Invasion 1897 was held at Odeon Greenwich Cinema on Friday 7th November 2014. Prominent amongst those on the red carpet included Toksy B, Anthony Monjaro, Riyike Alayande, Malcolm Benson, Sam Anwuzia, Collins Archie Pearce, Deejay Abass, Sam and Tola Onigbanjo, Paul Obazele,  Mike Omoregbe, Chucky Venn, Annika Aloti, Danny Erskine, cast and crew of the Movie, to mention but a few. The movie started pretty late although as you would see in my review it was worth the wait.

Storyline:  The movie is a historic epic based on the life of Oba Ovonramwen Nogbaisi, the Oba of Benin Kingdom, who ruled between 1888 and 1897. In 1897, the British invaded Benin, marking the historical epic from which this film was made.

Igie Ehanire played by Chucky Venn, a research student on African Art History gets touched and perturbed about the injustice the British invasion of Benin. It got more worrisome for him on learning that the artwork was more than just art works but a historical documentation of the records of the Benin people.

He wanted to return the priceless work of history and records to its original owners but went about it wrongly by trying to steal them, was arrested and had to face the wrath of the law. In trying to justify his actions, he queries the judge what she would do if her wig and gown were stolen and she now discovers them with a third party and then goes on to narrate the series of events about the reign of Oba Ovonramwen played by Mike Omoriegbe one of the greatest kings of Benin Empire who until 1897 was the only king and kingdom standing in Sub Saharan Africa. A major misunderstanding ensued that led to deaths and destruction and the carting away of priceless works of art which were more than decorative pieces and tagged spoils of war and culminating in the banishment of a brave king.

The movie was based on a real life event that happened in the Benin Empire now in what is now known as Edo State of Mid-West Nigeria. The story was well researched and is an excellent piece of history, one worthy of being told. It reminds me of the film about Nelson Mandela and all I can say on the storyline is well done to the script writer for recording history in the form of a movie.

Cast: The movie featured local and international actors including famous British actors Garett Mort, Rudolph Walker, Charles Chucky Venn, Annika Alofti, Hannah Raeshe-Felstead, Tim Robinson, Rob Spackman, Patrick Thompson and Keith Davinson and top Nigerian actors including Segun Arinze, Charles Inojie, Nosa Ehimwen, Paul Obazele, Leo Mezie, Mike Omoriegbe, Idiata Otiagbe and the late Justus Esiri.

Firstly, I must commend the entire cast of the movie for being able to collaborate properly and make the movie as real to anyone that watched it, bearing in mind that it was meant to be a 19^th Century story. I must however commend both Chucky Venn and Mike Omoriegbe both playing lead roles for “marrying” their roles for a lack of a better word and making those of us that watched the audience believe we were actually living in that era. Mike’s command of the Benin language and the culture must be commended and as the narrator in a different manner, Chucky must have taken time to study Benin History to have been confident enough to present his role the way he did. All the Chiefs and the supporting roles also contributed in making the movie as solid as it was. Again the British actors most of them involved in Nollywood for the first time did a good job in collaborating with the Nigerian actors in presenting what I call a first class jo. Well done!!

Sound: To me, the quality of the sound was good. It was not an A* which stands for excellence but it was good enough. I did not hear buzzing sounds or interference and the sounds of the props like the bombs fired came out properly. I must commend the Director and his crew for getting this right.

Picture Quality: The general picture quality was good again not excellent. I did not notice blurry pictures and in most of the scenes, the pictures were properly focused. Again I say well done!

Overall performance: We were informed that it took 4 years from start to finish produce what we saw at the premier. I commend Lancelot and his team the cast and crew for being patient to bring out such an epic historic piece. It shows that if as an industry, we take time, put in the effort, get the necessary sponsorship, the Nollywood industry would be a force to reckon with.

Although I would have liked to see more sub-titling and there were some typographical errors such as being “save” instead of “safe” (as a reviewer and critic, I see things people don’t see), overall, I believe the movie was an excellent movie.

Also in my view the cinematography was good, but in these days of computer technology where computers can create images to look real, I think advantage could have been taken of this for the war scenes and bombs, burning villages without losing the plot of the 19^th Century. A typical example again was where people were beheaded, blood should have been flowing through and a good cinematographer would have caught this, this was missing in the movie. Finally, in such a movie as this, there should have been warnings that there were graphic imaging.

I don’t say this about many movies that I watch, but I think this movie should not only be premiered but should be in cinemas throughout the UK so tat people in Birmingham, Southampton and the furthest parts of the UK can have an opportunity to watch it. Would I recommend people to watch this movie, without blinking an eyelid or thinking about it, I say a big YES, it would be a 2 hours well spent. Although people complained that the movie started late, I asked some of these same people whether it was worth the wait and the all said yes.

In finality, to Lancelot and the team a big well done and kudos to you.

Watch the trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YljETHmfD34

Review of London Premiere of Double Cross

The premiere of the movie Double Cross was held at Odeon Greenwich Cinema on Friday 31^st October 2014. Prominent amongst those on the red carpet included John Dumelo, Ama K. Abebrese, DJ Abass, Eloise Nana Yaa Miss Ghana UK 2014, Adjetey Anang, Ayo Oyebade, Ikenna Obi, Yvonne Hayes, Danny Erskine, cast and crew of the Movie, to mention but a few.

The movie which was shot in Ghana showcased award winning actress Ama K. Abebrese, multi Award winning John Dumelo, multi award winning actor Adjetey Anang, alongside Jasmine Baroudi, Paulina Oduro and veteran actor Samuel Odoi-Mensah. The movie was directed by prolific director Pasacal Aka and produced by D R Kufuor and Ama K Abebrese.

Storyline:  In the movie, Effie Howard’s (Ama K. Abebrese) life is dramatically turned upside down when her fiancé Ben Boateng (Adjetey Anang) is convicted and sentenced for a crime he did not commit. Determined to prove his innocence, she carried out her own investigation and finds the actual robber; Danny Frimpong (John Dumelo) a calm and collected sophisticated genius of a thief who has a personal vendetta against the bank he robbed Neptune Bank International. He robbed the bank using technological equipment’s and software’s which enabled him to enter, steal and exit the bank leaving everyone mystified as to how the theft was carried out, no witnesses, no evidence, yet the money is gone.

She meets Danny and threatens him but offers him a deal, and it’s to rob the bank again with similar methods as the first so the authorities know the actual robber is still out there then Danny does not lose what matters to him most and the reason for the bank robbery. She plans to relocate with the money when Ben is acquitted so as to get away from the stigma attached to ex-convicts and their families. After the bank robbery Effie sets her sights on a jewellery warehouse and she wants Danny to rob it.

With a lot of jewellery and money at stake, each one of them tries to outwit each other with medleys of smart thinking as they plan and execute the robberies, but no amount of careful planning or expertise can prepare them for the dangerous enemy, an enemy Effie least expected and never saw coming with surprising twist

With a lot of jewellery and loads of money at stake, each one of them tries to outwit each other with medleys of smart thinking as they plan and execute the robberies. They meticulously plan the robberies, but no amount of careful planning or expertise can prepare them for the dangerous enemy, an enemy Effie least expected and never saw coming. There was a surprise twist, but if you want to know what it is, go watch the movie.

I sat down at the Cinema and initially wandered where the story was going. I thought it was about revenge and an upset lady trying to get revenge on the man that had put her fiancé behind bars. I then saw the same man falling in love with his friend’s fiancée. It was wild drama till the last straw. I am tempted to say what happened, but that would be spoiling the intrigue for those who have not watched the movie. The credits at the end showing what happened to each individual was a welcome advantage and of course the climax of the movie surprised some people. I must say I was not surprised as I expected it!! All in all, the storyline was good and I give credit to the writer.

Cast: As stated above, there were some celebrated cast members. I think there was a balanced cast and the cast did justice in bringing out the intended storyline and for this I give kudos to the Director of the movie. However, I was not really impressed with the acting of one or two of the cast. Worthy of mention is the police inspector and negotiator. To me the acting was not convincing at all. Before the bomb exploded and after that, the countenance of the officer was unreal. At the press conference as well, I was not impressed, he did not make it look real. I think he should have demonstrated a bit more passion in the role. On a balance, I say well done to the cast.

Picture quality: For this sub-head, I had an argument with my Associate Reviewer. While she thought that some scenes were blurry and not well focussed, I did not agree with her. In my own opinion, I thought that the picture quality was good but not excellent. As a good reviewer and bearing in mind that in every movie, we have two reviewers seating at different places within the cinema, I think the Director along with the Director of Photography in future movies should take a second look at the final shot and the pictures that come out so that pictures are clear and not blurry. On this one, I leave it to the audience that watched the movie to lean on one side.

Sound: Right from the beginning of the movie and in most scenes, as is the case with most Nollywood and African movies that we have reviewed, there were buzzy sounds on the background interfering with the actual sound of the cast. Although we could hear what the cast was saying, I am really looking forward to reviewing a movie where I am not hearing background noise. I watch movies from around the world and if we are to compete with Hollywood, we have to ensure that the sound is clear and concise and that the only background noise that is heard are the sounds of any effects used in the movie. The sound was not too bad, but can be improved on.

Overall performance: When I watch an African Movie or a Nollywood movie, I want to see the effects, props and location looking as real as possible. In this movie, to me the prison even though it was the visiting hall that was shown did not look anything like a prison. What I saw was even much better than the visiting halls of category D, open prisons in the UK. I would be very surprised if that scene was shot on location in a prison. In future, the Director should actually approach the prison service and do the scene there or do what is done in programmes like East Enders, create the location.

Like I said earlier, I was impressed with the intrigue and suspense at the end. To me, the effects used for the bomb and the whole scene could have been better. A good cinematographer would have done a very good job in that scene and made it look real. It looked a bit artificial although the message was sent out.

Overall, I would say it was a good movie, better than most of the movies I have seen and had to review. There were definitely issues as I have addressed and this is hoping that in future projects, the Director and his team would look at these in a bid to make their next work better.

All I have to say is well done!!!

Watch the trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddpLpeaxb7o .

Review of London Premiere of Urban Rhythm

The premiere of the movie Urban Rhythm was held at Lighthouse Camberwell on Friday 3^rd October 2014. The movie showcased UK based upcoming new talents Lateef Lovejoy, Material, Gabriel Rinu, Zeezat Sadiq, Yvonne Hays, Maydaz, Ade Bello, Adasnoop amongst others.

Storyline:  ‘Urban Rhythm’ is a musical film with a fusion of UK based afrobeat artists and actors and with a compelling story of an unlikely friendship and an afrobeat journey. It features two main characters who do not quite get along. A young artist, Material, suddenly finds himself in need of a defence lawyer when he is charged with a petty crime. Sean who works for a private law firm is assigned to the case. An unlikely friendship occurs which then leads to an afrobeat journey. The movie was directed by Michael Ibiayo and produced by Yinka Kuponiyi.

As a lawyer, I was concerned about Sean’s actions in chambers as they were to say the least unprofessional and could lead to debarring. If he had issues, he should have refused to take the case and act on behalf of the client. He had an interest in the matter and would be unprofessional to act for him. Furthermore, he knew the client had stolen from him and that is enough to create a bias and make a case for him to transfer the case to someone else.

I also found it strange that in between a case conference, the solicitor picked up a call and subsequently went off course from the reason for the  conference and started talking about music.

Also I noticed miming during the course of some recordings. Music should have been lowered and the musician given more focus.

I commend the thought of bringing up a real issue of  a professional who should have known better in making a lucrative contract agreeing orally in principle to manage a musician even after he had been warned by his colleague and after his client had become so successful. The story show cases a common error and is a big lesson that should be learnt how where there is no concrete agreement, one can double cross another and friendships and relationships can be destroyed. Well done for that!!

Cast: As stated earlier, the cast are not well known names in the Nollywood industry save for Yvonne Hayes who has done a few Nollywood Movies. I believe that as first timers, most of the actors and actresses did well although there is room for improvement. I think the extras were a bit excessive in their acting and in a scene like the gym or the pool, there were elements of overacting.

I commend the Director for using real musicians and allowing them be creative and express themselves.

Picture quality: There were some scenes where the focus was out of place and this was obvious. If this could be worked on, I think the picture quality would be a winner. Overall however, the cinematography was on point. I agree with Nelson that the shoot style was the American dept-of-field flavour with movement and over the shoulder shots heavily utilised.

Sound: Again there were some issues with the sound. In some cases, the sound was low and in some cases, the sound was excessively high. Again working on this would make the sound a winner.

Overall performance: I think this movie is unique being a musical and also telling a story. From what the Director told us, the project was worked on for two years and had a relatively huge budget for a Nollywood movie. I commend the team for patience and trying to get things right before actually premiering the movie. However, I think the movie dragged on a bit and people may get bored eventually.

Most of the locations were great, but as a lawyer, I had a problem with the law office and as stated above if a UK Solicitor was at the premiere, they may not have understood the whole office and law scenes. Some people who watched the movie alluded that it cannot be termed as an authentic Nollywood movie but a British movie with the makings of a  Hollywood movie

Overall, I give a big nod to the movie and if people are music lovers and can endure, they would watch the movie to the end and enjoy it. Well done!!

Watch the trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gz7jhAptLlI#t=10

Review of London Gala Premiere of Gone too far

The Gala Premiere took place at the Hackney Picture House On Tuesday 30th September 2014. The premiere was attended by the Director Destiny Ekaragha, the writer Bola Agbaje, the cast and crew of the movie and many of the Nollywood UK industry stakeholders including DJ Abass, Theodora Ibekwe Oyebade, Ayo Oyebade, Teju Ibukunoluwa, Ikenna Obi, Kenneth Benson, Danny Erskrine, Nelson Spyke, Riyike Alayande, to mention but a few.

Storyline: Gone too far follows two estranged brothers mainly over the course of a single day as they meet for the first time and struggle to accept each other for who they truly are. Yemi (Malachi Kirby) who was a British born Nigerian teenager could not wait to for his brother Ikudayisi (O C Ukeje) to join him in Peckham but it was all disappointment when he arrived wearing socks and sandals making Yemi question both his judgement and African heritage.

The drama continued as Ikudayisis African heritage and unimpressive fashion sense soon start to endanger Yemi’s street credentials. He had been trying so hard, got the right clothes, listened to the right music, stayed out of trouble, and it seemed to be working particularly when trying to impress local troublemaking temptress Armani (Shanika Warren-Markland), but his wall soon came crashing down as this goggle-eyed, naive immigrant could do nothing but harm his credibility.

As simmering adolescent passions and West Indian-African tensions erupt over the course of one day in their estate, both siblings had to decide where their loyalties lie. A day in the estate becomes filled with danger and excitement and teaches both siblings the values of family and self-respect.

The movie was adapted from Bola Agbaje’s Olivier award winning play and is a delightful funny tale from the end of Peckham and focused on addressing serious racial tensions. The film was directed by Destiny Ekaragha and produced by Christopher Granier-Deferre. The Associate producer was Rob Watson.

The storyline outlined what is a prevailing issue in the British and in fact in other parts of the world. Discrimination is not necessarily between black and white or white and Hispanic and could actually be amongst the black race, in the case of this movie between African and Caribbean citizens. What caught my eyes and was real is the way the Afro-Caribbean in the Diaspora have refused to identify with their roots as depicted by Yemi and Shanika. These are real issues and though not depicted in the movie, people want to identify and do so by changing their names and even the colour of their skins. To me, the storyline was direct, relevant and eye opening. We need to go back to our roots and identify with it, we need to be proud to be Nigerian or Bajan. I therefore give kudos to the script writer for coming up with such a concept.

Cast: The movie feautured Adelayo Adedayo (Paris), Malachi Kirby (Yemi), Shanika Warren-Markland (Armani), Ashley Chin (Mark), Bhasker Patel (Mr Patel), Eddie Bagayawa (Cook), O.C. Ukeje (Ikudayisi), Pooja Shah (Aisha), Kulvinder Ghir (Bossman), Tosin Cole (Razer), Wai Wong (Mr Wong), Michael Maris (Blazer), Eddie Kadi (DJ), Liz Sutherland (Mrs Wong), Golda John (Mum), Sandra Michelle (angry girlfriend), Garry Marriott (PCSO), Miles McDonald (Ghost) and KG the Comedian  (Hi Res).

I must commend the Director how she was able to bring a blend of different personalities to tell the story. Using a mix of Golda, Malachi, O.C Ukeje, Shanika and the mix of minor characters such as Bhasker, Mr Wong etc brought balance to the movie. Usually, I pick one or two of the cast and credit them, but for this movie and in order to encourage the upcoming actors and actresses take a bold step and get into the industry, I would say a big well done to everyone. When a Director makes a foreigner speak an indigenous Nigerian language, I give kudos to that Director and although murdering the Yoruba language, I give credit to Bhasker for the effort.

Saying that, I think in some scenes, there was a bit of overacting, I also think that one or two of the cast in some scenes made it obvious that they were in front of a camera, thus defeating the ethos of acting. That being the case, overall, I give a thumbs up to the cast especially those that are new to the Nollywood scene. I also see potentials of new stars erupting as a result of their roles in the movie. To me Golda was just natural and I commend her. I have said in a previous review that O.C. Ukeje is a fast upcoming star, but I think he should learn his role properly and convince the audience of the role he is playing. He was playing a Yoruba boy and in my honest opinion in some scenes his tone and acts did not demonstrate a typical Yoruba compared to Golda. Being Yoruba myself I noticed easily, others may not but overall, I say the cast did well.

Picture quality: To me throughout the movie, unless I missed something, the picture quality was not excellent, but it was good and I do not have any negative comments about the picture quality. With a larger budget in these days of technology the picture quality could have been improved. That said, as a starting point I give credit to the Director and her crew and I look forward to seeing the use of sharper and up to date cinematography in her next movie. This bit should not be seen as a negative criticism but one that is pushing the Director to look deeper and upgrade in her next effort.

Sound: Again apart from one scene which was an external scene where I heard some buzzing sound I think the sound was good again I commend the Director and her team for this. Not much to say.

Overall performance: In describing the movie overall, I would say it was simply brilliant, an excellent movie, one of the best that I have watched in Nollywood recently. There were loads of comedy with the audience bursting out in laughter.

However good as the movie is, I think there should have been subtitles for non-Yoruba speakers and even non Bayan speakers. If the movie has been produced for a Nigerian or even Afro-Caribbean audience I think subtitles would not be necessary. However, if the movie has been designed for an overall audience of different nationals, in some scenes people would be lost as was the case in the premiere where my neighbour looked lost in some scenes as she just did not understand the jokes or what was going on. Golda in her role tried to interprete Yoruba to English, but not in all cases. That is just a food for thought.

The movie is showing at a cinema near you from the 10^th of October 2014. The question is that as a Nollywood critic and movie reviewer, would I pay to go and see the movie. I do not have to think hard and fast about the answer to that question. The answer is a categorical YES.

I believe this is one of the movies that depicts where the Nollywood movie industry should be going and as such we should encourage a step in the right direction. To the Director, cast and crew of this movie I say well done!!

Watch the trailer:

http://www.virginmedia.com/movies/trailers-clips/gone-too-far-trailer/3785262077001/?filter=all#!/gone-too-far-trailer/3785262077001

Review of London Premiere of For the Love of money

The movie was premiered on Friday 5th September 2014 at the Odeon Cinema Greenwich.

On the red carpet were Florence Okonkwo,Toyin Moore, Nelson Spyk,  Ruke Amata, Fatima Jabe Bio, Theodora Ibekwe Oyebade, Collins Archie Pearce, Toksy Bello,  Danny Erskine, Feyisara the African Entertainer, Marie Gomez, Tolu Yesufu, Steve Hammond, M A Benson, Kevwe Ogunje, Seyi Akinoso, Fred and Titi Aseroma, cast and crew of the movie, captains of the UK Nollywood industry and members of the public.

Storyline: To me, the movie started abruptly and I tried very hard to find a theme for the whole movie. From what I saw, the movie was about an entangled couple who both had gangs armed with guns. The husband connived and conned £300,000,000 from his wife and this led to a gang war between both gangs. Eventually, the wife used her wits and emptied her husband’s account resulting in him kidnapping his children and threatening to kill them. During negotiations, when his wife pretended to have transferred the money back to him, the child (although we kept hearing children, we only saw a child) was saved and the husband (Mr. T) was arrested. We saw eventually that he was sentenced to 25 years in prison. I concluded that the ethos of the movie was that people can do anything including killing their children just for money.

As a movie reviewer and critic, I like storylines to be believable and realistic. There were a few issues in this movie. I was shocked that $300m could fit into such a small bag. If the bills were in $100 notes, that would take 30,000 bales which cannot fit that small bag and while the audience kept seeing dollar bills, we were told the money was £300m. I was confused whether the money that caused all the trouble in the movie was actually pounds or dollars.

Secondly, the movie was shot in the United Kingdom. Mr. T was arrested at the end of the movie and the proper procedure was not followed. If you watch any British soap and someone has to be arrested, you tell them why they are arrested and there is a proper caution. For ease of reference, the arrest should have been something like this:

“Mr T, I am arresting you for the kidnap of …..  You do not have to say anything but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you may later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence against you. Do you understand?”

In this industry, we need to start paying attention to detail and make our movies such that people from other ethnic backgrounds can watch and understand with ease just like we understand most Hollywood movies. Our storylines should be realistic and such that people can relate with.

For the storyline therefore, I would award a 5 out of a possible 10

Picture Quality: In some of the scenes, there were flurry pictures e.g. in the scene where Collins and Florence were and the guards were asked to leave. I was impressed with most of the cinematography especially where there was a gun battle between the two gangs. However, I saw some funny cinematography e.g. boats dancing, was that one of the cinematographer’s idea to create effects? For most of the movie, the cinematography and pictures were great.

For the picture quality, I would award an 8 out of a possible 10

Sound: Generally, the sound was good, but there were instances where there were issues. An example was where the 3 ladies were discussing about the £300,000,000. The sound was also up and down in the scene between Florence and Collins. In some cases, the sound was low. Not much to say on sound. For sound I would score a 7 out of a possible 10.

Cast: This movie had some know actors and actresses who put their experience to play. Noticeable were Chinwe Owoh and Collins Archie Pearce. Casting them brought the much needed balance to the movie. Upcoming actors like Kevwe Ogunje although he only spoke once also brought balance to the cast. I would like to commend Florence Okonkwo. She played a lead role and this is the first movie I have seen her play lead. Although she was not perfect, for a first lead Nollywood role, I think on the balance of probabilities, she did well. Her command of the Igbo language worked well where she had to speak Igbo. In some scenes, I was impressed with her, but in some scenes, it was as if she was struggling to get her lines and act at the same time and as a movie reviewer, I saw that. I think she would get better and better with more roles and if she remains focused, she may become one of the upcoming Nollywood actresses.

Some of the other cast members showed that they crammed their lines and did not really act and this showed in the movie. Their acting did not flow naturally as it should. I would like to give some examples and I do this as a positive criticism so they can look back in their next movies and do even better.

I commend Steve Hammond that in spite of his busy schedule has shown interest in the Nollywood industry. I know he has done some movies, although I have not been priviledged to lines not clear, lines too quick, seems review any of those movies. However, in this movie, I think he rushed his lines, did not fall in character and was talking more than he was acting. I think he should pace his speech and put some passion into his acting and he would do great in the industry.

Abby Fatty in my view started calm, cool collected but eventually acted as if she had crammed her lines. Overall though as a new comer in the industry, I think she did well. Chinwe Owoh made an impact. We saw her in a different kind of role from what we are used to. Like I said earlier, she lifted the movie.

For the category of cast, I would award a 6.5 out of a possible 10

Overall performance:

The movie had its issues and if we took away the title of the movie, people may not have understood what the whole movie was about. When watching a movie, in the first ten minutes, one should have an idea of the direction of the movie. In honesty, I think this was missing in this movie.

I commend the Director for spotting and using new talents and a balance of the experienced although I believe most of the cast need to continue to improve themselves.

In totality, I would award this movie in its current state a 3+ star out of a possible 5+ stars.

After Nollywood Premieres what next?

I have been priviledged over the years to watch a lot of Nollywood premieres in the UK and I must commend the cast and crew of such movies for making efforts to produce and premiere such movies. That said, I am also aware that I am aware that it is costly from shooting of the movie to the actual premiere. A breakdown of a good movie would include paying the cast, the cinematographer, the producer, the director, in some cases paying for location, advertising for the premiere and actually paying  for the venue of the premiere. Lots of money is involved  in actually putting up a premiere that in most cases, sponsorship has to be obtained.

One would think that the funds spent would be recouped at the premieres but this is not the case. In spite of the fact that the premieres are priced with tickets costing between £15 and £40, most of these tickets about 60% to at least 75% are given out free to cast and their guests, to promoters, to sponsors, to people in the industry etc. The question then is how do the producers of the movie break through.

Nollywood as much as it is an industry is also a business. Everyone is in business to make profit. While I understand that a producer may have the funds and want to tell a particular story and may not be concerned about the costs, this is not the case in most cases. I am sorry to say, but most of our producers lack strategy and do not think beyond the premiere leaving them in debt and the Executive Producers running out of pocket.

Some of the premieres even though they are below par are premiered for various reasons. To some it is for fame, to some just to show they have arrived and although some are genuine, there is no follow up or back up plan after the premieres. Some of the movies die a natural death after the premieres, there are no marketing strategies for such movies and it is such a pity.

Even the Bible says that before one builds a house, he should count the costs. It is my view that before anyone dreams of even shooting a movie talk not of premiering it, they should think of the total cost and think of how the movie can be marketed and bring in some of the much needed revenue. It is a shame if a good movie just goes to rest after a premiere. There are people in the UK who can help market our movies at the right price and others can help advertise properly. Others can act as consultants but if things are done properly, our movies would not end up at premiere level.

My plea is that producers should think twice before jumping at a premiere!!

Babs Carew

Lead reviewer

Review of the London Premiere of St Mary

The movie was premiered on Friday 8^th August 2014 at the Odeon Cinema Greenwich.

St Mary showcases some of Nollywood’s best and versatile actors and actresses including Zack Orji, Ekpeyong Bassey-Inyang, Frank Dallas, Joseph Benjamin, Scott Roberts, Benita Nzeribe, Paul Obazele, Ibinabo Fiberesima, Toyin Alausa, Sefiya Dadiya,  and Caren Agwambo. The movie was written by Danijo Efe Young from an original story by Chike Brian. It was produced by Obi Anthony Osotule and directed by Matthias Obahiagbon.

The premiere was hosted by Panache Entertainment and present on the red carpet were the Executive Producer of the movie Darlington Agha, the Associate Producer Keppy Ekpeyong Bassey, the director Matthias Obahiagbon, actor and production manager Frank Dallas, Zack Orji, Benita Nzeribe, Princess Peace Essien (CEO Panache Global Entertainment), Prince Tade Olusile, Anthony Monjaro, Ruke Amata, Toyin Moore, Pauline Long, Nelson Spyk,  Fatima Jabe Bio, Toksy Bello, captains of the UK Nollywood industry and members of the public.

Storyline:  The moviecentres on the negative implication of pornography, sex and human trafficking. It follows the story of Tejiri, who uncovers a massive web of conspiracy on human trafficking and crime on board  St. Mary, an oil vessel on voyage bound for Amsterdam. The well helmed movie also narrates the story of Nonye who gets lured by a Facebook confidant and friend into a seeming breakthrough in her singing career. Her excitement banishes caution and her world is thrown into a spiraling string of turmoil and disaster. She lands in a cabal’s dragnet stripping her away from the safety of family and imposing a terrifying adventure amidst her pleas for survival.

The movie also exposes the exploits of Don Daddy, an epitome of success whose massive business empire is built on extraction and sales of human organs. His tentacles spread out to the frontiers of establishment and he lives his fairy tale life in all the perks of comfort with a consortium of agents luring young girls with a promise of better life in Europe until he attracts the small framed daughter of Professor Ojukwu whose search pulls Don Daddy’s empire down. As the narrative progresses, the scars never heal, the pain disappear and the memories linger painfully. The story taxies off as a story of degradation, torture, pain and loss. It captures the travails of man’s innocence compromised in his aspirations.

In my view as a movie critic and reviewer, I commend the writer for telling such a storyline. The storyline actually reflects what happens in our society, but which people refuse to narrate when they are victims because of fear of repercussions. It is interesting that it is the high and mighty in the society for example an ex-governor that get involved in such atrocities. Such ills need to be wiped out from our society and efforts need to be made between governments of countries by sharing intelligence to find out the brains behind human trafficking and deal with the root of the problem. I would have like to see the movie end with some form of collaboration between the Nigerian and Netherlands governments to deal with the problem even if it was only by writing some lines at the end of the movie.

For the storyline therefore, I would be awarding 8.5 out of a possible 10

Picture Quality: Throughout the movie, there was a consistency with the picture quality. I have seen Nollywood movies with sharper pictures, but none the less the picture quality was good. I must commend those responsible for the pictures and i believe with a larger budget and better equipment, the pictures could have been even better. Not much to say, i award for the picture quality a score of 9 out of a possible 10

Sound: The sound started good although the music overshadowed the voice of the actors in some cases. There were also echoes in the sound in some of the scenes. The sound quality then went downhill and became atrocious to say the least. There was a lot of interference. It sounded as if the microphones were so close and there was nothing to prevent unnecessary noise. The sound was so bad in some cases we could not hear clearly what was being said.

It is a pity that for such a promising movie, the sound was that bad. It is with regret, but in performing my role as a Nollywood critic and reviewer that I award a 1 out of a possible 10 for sound.

Cast: As stated earlier, the movie showcased some big names in Nollywood and upcoming actors and actresses. I think the balance was right and the experience of the likes of Zack Orji, Keppy Ekpeyong and the likes of Joseph Benjamin made the movie look real. However, personally, i would not have cast the Captain for that role as he was neither here or there and did not do the role much justice. I think some of the girls although they were playing support roles overacted their parts and while I think the Kenyan lady in the movie played her role properly as one of the suppliers of girls, I think some of the other ladies more or less acted like they crammed their lines. Out of a possible 10, for the cast i would award a 7.

Overall performance: I am a stickler for excellence when it comes to Nollywood movies and I can be very picky at times. We are in an age of advanced technology and seeing the police doing surveillance with a mobile phone is not 21st century. I would have preferred not to show such a scene or at least pretend to use better technology.

I think on the balance of probabilities, the movie was a good one and the atmosphere was cordial, however in my view, before premiering a movie the director needs to watch the whole movie and do an assessment. A private viewing may also help see some of the issues like the sound that have been raised here.

In the current state of the movie, it would be hypocritical of me to recommend the movie mainly because of the sound. This can be corrected and once this has been done, I would gladly recommend the movie.

In totality, i would award this movie in its current state a 3 star out of a possible 5+ stars. However, this grading can improve if I watch the movie again and the sound issue has been corrected.

Watch the trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEEV5_MBm7Y