Review of Nelson Spyk's Drag him to the altar by fire by force

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:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YF_GT_3EhM

Review of Seyi Babatope's When Love Happens

The movie When Love Happens premiered at the Odeon Cinema Greenwich on Friday 4th September 2015 and at the same time started showing in selected cinemas on the same day.

Unfortunately, die to another premiere on the same day to which babso.org was already committed, we could not attend the premiere. However, we were priviledged to watch the screening of the movie on Wednesday 9^th September 2015 at Odeon Cinema Greenwich. This review is therefore based on the screening.

Storyline: Moduroti Bankole–Smith (also known as Mo)is a twenty eight year old events planner that has always been unlucky when it came to getting a partner or finding a future partner. She is reminded at every turn about how wonderful love his with proof to substantiate the case. Her parents are madly in love and are always nudging her to find someone. She has 2 close friends Tseju whose profession is unclear and Tobe a banker. 

Events take a bizarre turn when she is hired to plan a long time friend’s Jennifer’s upcoming wedding. This ignites a change and a chain reaction in Mo. She is now determined to open herself to new ways to explore dating and finding romance. An old flame Dare returns to town to further complicate her plans. Unknown to her, her close friend Tobe secretly harbours affection for her and that starts to reverberate as an undercurrent that will reach a tipping point one that will either end badly or for the better. Mo will have to find the natural balance of love as she hopes it to be or as most people experience it. 

To me the storyline was very relevant. In the African culture or at least in the Nigerian culture, when a lady attains a certain age and has studied all she can and achieved things in life, the pressure comes up for her to get married. As in the case in this movie, matters get worse when every other person around one that grew up together is married or in a stable relationship. The movie also depicted how far one can go to get a partner. I would not tell you what was done in this movie or how far Mo went, you need to watch it yourself.

One thing I enjoyed about the movie was that from start to finish, the theme of the story was straight forward and everyone knew where the movie was going. There were no distractions, it was all about love and getting into a relationship and I commend the writer of the script for that. That made the storyline very easy to follow and in fact would make the average viewer emphatise with Mo.

Cast: The movie boasted of loads of experienced Nollywood actors and included Weruche Opia, OC Ukeje, Beverly Naya, Oreka Godis, Desmond Elliot, Wale Ojo, Bukky Wright, Gideon Okeke, Bassey Keppy Ekpeyong, Helen Paul, Shaffy Bello, Blossom Chukwujekwu, KC Ejelonu. The movie was Directed by  Seyi Babatope.  and Produced by Kene Mkparu, Moses Babatope, Seyi Babatope.

In my view the cast were marvelous. I cannot pick on any particular actor opposed to the other. Even those that played minor roles did well and there was a good coordination that brought the movie together. Every single actor did what was expected of them and I commend the Director for a job well done. I don’t know how long it took to shoot this movie but permit me to use this phrase, the cast was simply on point every single one of them.

If you know me when it comes to reviewing movies, I am picky but even though there were tiny mistakes by the cast in one or two scenes, the average viewer would not have picked on them so I am willing to let them go. There were definitely no cramming lines in this movie. To the entire cast and crew, I say well done.

Picture Quality: I do not have much to say about the picture quality. The picture quality was of a good standard. However, that said, in some scenes, there were places where it seems the pictures froze and we did not see the images of the cast as they were talking. This could have been dealt with in post-production. There were no blurred pictures.

Sound Quality: Again the sound quality was of a very good standard. There was no interference with the sound and everything the cast said were very clear. However, my only concern and this is being very picky was with Mo. I am not sure if it had to do with her voice or if she was always a bit far from the microphones to pick her voice very clearly in some scenes. Every other person seemed to have a loud articulate voice but the volume always seemed to dip when it came to Mo. That was just an observation.

Overall performance:  One thing I liked about the movie was what I call the pause and explain. The film froze on a character and Mo usually said something about the character. That was done in a professional manner.

The movie was humorous, was real, was easy to understand, was universal and anyone could relate with it. I went to the movie with someone who would not really watch Nollywood movies and she was full of praise for the movie. To me that spoke a lot about the movie.

Although the UK screening of the movie would be ending today 10^th September 2015, this is a movie that should continually be viewed. It is one of those movies I would like to see on Iroko TV or even Netflix.

I would like to commend the Director Seyi Babatope, and the entire cast and crew for a job well done. The question remains if I would recommend this movie. From my comments above, it is certain what my answer would be. This is one of those movies as a reviewer and critic, that I would recommend without any hesitation or fear of being crucified. I had seen what was written about the movie previously, but I don’t believe a movie is a good movie until I see it and definitely this was a good movie.

Watch the trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bdm1h9HojFU

Review of London premiere of Toyin Moore's Captivated

The movie Captivated premiered at the Lighthouse on Friday 4th September 2015. Prominent on the red carpet were members of the cast and crew including Toyin Moore, Chiedu Nwanze, Ekenne Francis Nweke, Sesan Fakoya, Dapo Oloja, Ken Smart, Roseline Sanni Ajose, Malcolm Benson, Kevwe Ogunje, Mayowa Oluyede, Lydia Olet. The red carpet was also graced by representatives of the Nigerian High Commission led by the Acting High Commissioner HE Olukunle Akindele Bamgbose . Members of the Nollywood UK including Ruke Amata, Fred Aseromah, Nonso Nwaiwu, Florence Blaster Okonkwo were also amongst those on the red carpet as well as members of the public.

The event The Event was hosted by Producer and host Evelyn Obahor and talented Actor and MC Kevwe Ogunje and they did an amazing job kicking it off and warming up the audience before the movie. The premiere also featured performances from different artistes including Aremu and Joy.

Storyline: Captivated is a movie about a quest for true love. Having  been captive by the past, Elizabeth’s searches for freedom after a life of hurt and disappointment. Rose is a beautiful young woman, who through no fault of hers is caught up in a world of pain disappointment and ultimate discovery of true Love. According to the synopsis of the movie as published, it is a story steeped in our rich African culture with a modern twist. The movie is woven around promises and betrayals. The big question the movie tried to address is what do you do when all hope is lost?

In my view, unlike most Nollywood movies I have seen recently, the storyline is not wholly based on a daily occurrence and its own way is unique.

Let me start from the positives. Some real life issues were highlighted in the movie. The passion and love of a husband for his wife to the extent that he leaves his religion of Christianity to follow her traditional religion and even impacting that to the children, a praying mother, frustration and battering of a family after the death of one that is loved etc and to me those were good.

Also part of the storyline were humorous and kept the audience laughing.

Having said that, I however expected a much different storyline bearing in mind the title of the movie. I kept asking myself throughout the movie what is there to captivate the audience or where is the captivation in the movie? In my own view, the betrayal, the loss of income and the various things that happened to the family were not portrayed as being “CAPTIVATED”. In my own view, the only scene that was worthy of the title of the movie was the end where the disappointed Rose who was heartbroken met a man and both the man and girl could not say anything and were just bewilded.

Also, I was concerned that the movie had scenes of domestic violence to both wife and children. Like I always say, when telling a story, the story has to be realistic. In the movie, the husband committing the domestic violence was a policeman and even though mention was made that the police would not do anything (which in my view in the current UK) is not really true, the violence especially on the children was played down in t

I know that the storyline was based on the fact that what happened to Rose and her mum in the movie was a s a result of fact that they did not deal with the violence, but even if it was in form of a soliloquy, the option of going to child support or Social service should have been added. If I was the script writer, I would have included a scene where Rose was discussing the option with her boyfriend and possibly showing how it is considered a taboo in African context to take your father to the authorities. That way the options of help would have been considered.

One major thing that was important and not included in the movie was sub titles. I sat next to a lady from an African country and she got lost where Yoruba was being spoken. Even myself a Yoruba man, I almost got lost with some of the konk Yoruba being spoken. The audience was vast and in such a movie, everyone should have been included.

Cast: The movie boasted of loads of new talent in the making. I give kudos to the Director for casting new names some with potential to make waves in the Nollywood industry. The cast and crew included Ken Smart, Toyin Moore, Roseline Sanni-Ajose, Funmi Ogidan-Bello, Cordelia Emeh, Malcolm Benson, Kevwe Ogunje, Victoria Abraham, Doyin Amodu, Jedidah David, Achieng Tett, Greg Ojo, Rich Daniel, Oladapo Oloja,
Yolanda Sanda, Florence Odaru, Chiedu Nwanze, Ekene Francis Nweke, Mayowa Oluyede, Sesan Fakoya and many more.

The movie was written by Lydia Tet Olet. The movie was produced and directed by Toyin Moore. The Executive Producers were Toyin Moore, Ken Smart and Lydia Olet and the movie was powered by MS Estates.

Let me start with the new actors and actresses. Most of them were given minor roles as supporting actors so one could not see much of them enough to assess them properly. However, I believe some of them have potential if given the right opportunity and direction. I would like to use this medium to ask Nollywood UK to seek out these new talents and get them involved as the industry continues to evolve. Some of the cast just delivered their lines without the passion of the role, but I am so willing to forgive them as this is their first attempt at such a big stage.

I am very meticulous and fastidious do I had issues with some of the lead characters and diction. This is an evolving industry and if we are to grow, we need to perfect little bits. If the movie is in pidgin English, the characters especially lead characters should spend time in perfecting the language, if it is in English, the least I expect is proper diction and pronunciation of words. Similarly if native languages like Yoruba and Ibo are to be used, the cast need to be vast and speak the language properly. In this movie, I give credit to the cast that threw in Yoruba phrases and proverbs as they nailed it. Diction perfect wordings beyond what even I as a Yoruba reviewer would have done.

Having said that let me pick 4 major characters and as veterans now in the industry, I would be a bit brutal but honest. For Toyin Moore, I must give her credit for being able to adapt to different roles. Added to the fact that she directed the movie, overall, she did what I expected of her and she continues to evolve and grow. However, I cannot give her 100% in this movie as there were some scenes I thought she might have been tired or overwhelmed with the load of work (that is my own opinion) that she did not fully deliver. I think if one is going to be a Director and Producer, they should not take the lead as the load would be too much and then again can you Direct yourself as you would others? Toyin keep doing what you do. You are a natural and one day who knows you might be in one of the other “woods”.

Ken Smart. Directors are beginning to see your strengths and cast you accordingly. To me you did justice to the role you were given. However, as a critic and in my view, I think you need to tone down just a bit sometimes. You are a natural bubbly person and get excited easily and this is reflecting in your characters and sometimes, I see you get excited and overplay your role. You are naturally talented and would go places, but just be yourself and don’t get excited. You are a natural and have a future in the industry, but a word of advice, don’t jump into producing or directing till you have perfected your act and know the industry well. Thought to add that. Well done Ken.

Roseline when I watched a previous movie you were in, we disagreed over my comments largely about you but in this movie, I watched you with all intensity. Foe most of the movie, I asked myself if this was the same Roseline. You were calm and approached the role with the professionalism it deserved. There was a scene that caught my attention and I was waiting to see if you would light the cigarette and actually smoke. Without telling the audience what happened (go and watch the movie when it is released), you nailed that part and most of the scenes in which you were. To me, this was much better and the role suited you and I can confidently cast you in a role in a movie should I audition for one. Well done. However, I can confidently cast you in a role in a movie should I audition for one. Well done. However, you still have some work to do and I would encourage you to watch those you look at as idols, learn from them, perfect your skill and your name would be on the anals of history. You have so much potential, harness and release them. Let your next role so blow the minds of people that they ask questions.

Kevwe Ogunje, you asked me to be blunt and of course I would be. Simply put, I think you played the role you were asked to play as best as you could. I Would not have done any much better myself. However, I have seen you in more tried roles and I don’t think you were stretched to your potential in this movie. You are so natural that you have even gone into been a presenter and MC so I would like in future to see you in more challenging roles as you seem to be very good at what you do. I have nothing more to say.

I would not do this part of the review justice without mentioning Dapo Oloja. This is the 2^nd consecutive movie I am seeing him. In this film, he played a bigger role, Dapo is naturally a cheerful person always laughing so a large part of the movie played to his strengths. There were obvious flaws. Dapo is Yoruba and played an Ibo role. In my opinion, he did not act as an Ibo man not in the accent or the ethos of an Ibo man. Dapo was just himself and one thing I could see behind the acting was that he enjoyed himself. Dapo, there are a few issues, but if you deal with them, there is potential in you. I would advise you to take away a script and consult. You are popular. People like Alfred of Nollywood or Obi Emenloye would have given a few tips on being an Ibo Prince but all in all I commend you for giving it a try.

To the entire cast and crew, I say a big kudos as you all made an effort and the production with your help was a success.

Picture Quality: The picture quality was for most parts of the movie of a good not excellent standard, but I noticed delays in between scenes in some cases. I did not notice any blurred scenes or scenes out of the frame (and I stand to be corrected). This is good but the general picture quality can be improved on.

Sound Quality: Whilst I rated the picture quality as being good, unfortunately, I cannot say the same for the sound quality. There were buzzy sounds that could have been edited post production. I understand that scenes shot outside should look real with evidence of things happening around, but where it causes buzzes in the sound quality, I have an issue.

Also in some scenes, I could hardly hear what the actors were saying hence follow the trend. One typical example was in the office of MS Estates. I missed out on the special services being offered and also most of what Mayowa was saying apart from his US trip. It is funny to note that in the same office, I could hear the Secretary clearly even though there was some interference with the sound. I put all this to post production or to the sound engineer (if there was one). It is these little things that make or break a movie.

Overall performance:  Generally, in spite of the issues that I have raised, I think the movie was a good one overall. There were comic parts to the movie that kept the audience laughing. I think the characters showed commitment and in spite of all the issues raised gave their best to make the movie work out.

I had an issue with the corporate adverts in the movie. While that may have been contractual there was no natural acting in the scenes where the companies were profiled. It was as if lines were being read. If a company is to be profiled in a movie, it is a movie and whoever is in it should act and convince the audience like any other actor. This is becoming a norm in the Nollywood industry that sponsors of a movie ask for a scene in the movie to profile their businesses (and while there is nothing wrong with that), it should be a part of the bigger picture, the movie. The same was the case with the scene profiling Oloja.com. The other way around it is to take an advert before an after the movie that profile the company. To me while people may miss the profile in the movie and think they are made up names, one cannot miss the advert before and after the movie.

Having said all that, the question remains if I would recommend this movie. As a reviewer and critic, although I have mentioned some of my concerns, I would definitely recommend this movie.

Watch the trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdOHu5ZOToY

Review of Phillippa Abraham's Basira in London

The movie Basira in London premiered at the Odeon Cinema Greenwich on Friday 21^st August 2015. The attendance of this movie was unbelievable and in the words of the MC for the night DJ Abass, with an attendance of 1200 people, that was the highest record for a Nollywood premiere in the UK. The movie was shown in 6 screens so it was a challenge to identify people on the red carpet but in summary on the red carpet were the cast and crew of the movie as well as members of the public.

Storyline: An African woman Basira (Eniola Badmus) relocates to London with great expectations. She came in with her elderly husband and jilted him in the airport. All her efforts to "fit in" result in hilarious consequences.

Initially she did not realise that the job that was found for her was a cleaning job and as a proud lady that she was, she did not stay long in the job as she wanted a managerial job. She went on to a salon and before she even started she messed up and had to run away. She was desperate to get the right to remain in the UK. To what extent would Basira go? You need to watch the movie yourself for answers.

The storyline is one that is a common occurrence not only for Nigerians but for people from less developed countries who believe that once they get into the UK their lives would be better. On a daily basis, we hear of people risking their lives staying in different parts of the plane and dying of suffocation or trying to cross the Calais borders or hiding in trailers just to get into the UK to stay. These people go to any levels to regularize their stay including claiming asylum even where there is peace in their countries, doing arranged marriages etc. so Basira’s case is not a strange one.

I would like to commend Philippa for telling such a story that is real to life. However, there are one or two flaws that I saw in the story itself and this is just me being fastidious and the average person may not know.

At a wedding where three persons were to be arrested, you never send two Immigration Officers. The number of Officers must exceed the people to be arrested and in reality, the chances of Basira escaping would be nil as all the exits would be covered by Immigration Officers.

Worse still was the purported arrest by one officer of Basira in her house. Again this would not happen in reality and at least two officers would attend. In fact, if properly researched, you would find out that a team of six officers would attend to arrest Basira.

I am of the school of thought that for this industry to attain a place of excellence, we need to shoot movies that people can relate with and believe. More extras should have been used to make this part of the storyline look real. If Immigration Officers were in the audience today, they would have laughed. I used to watch soaps like The Bill and the setting and storylines reflect exactly how things are done in the metropolitan police.

Secondly, at the end of the scene in the lawyer’s office, the lawyer wore a wig over his suit and a s a lawyer myself, I questioned if he was a solicitor or a barrister. If a barrister he should not have worn the wig or should have dressed in a bib not a wig over a tie and suit.

I was seating close to a producer/Marketer from Nollywood Nigeria and one thing we both agreed was that the movie dragged on longer than it should have. I think parts of the movie should have been edited out to make the storyline short and sweet. That said, the storyline was full of comedy and people kept laughing all the time.

Cast: The cast included Eniola Badmus, Philippa Abraham, Timothy Byrne, Theodora Ibekwe-Oyebade, Ayo Oyebade, Riyike Alayande, Tolu Yesufu, Jason Abraham Junior, Destinee Anthony, Dapo Oloja,  Frank Williams and many more.

Let me start from the positives. There were two people that shone for me in the movie. Firstly was Eniola herself. She was the backbone of the movie and like Julius Agu cracked many ribs by making people laugh. I could not see any other person playing that role and I commend the casting Director for giving her the role and the Director Phillippa for bringing her role to life.

I have seen Tolulope Yesufu develop and I left this choice to my Producer/Marketer fro Nollywood Nigeria to make. I did not tell her about previous movies that Tolu had done, but she picked her as having a flair to act and playing the role properly. I would like to encourage Tolu to keep working hard as her potential would hit the skies.

Again having said that and I don’t want to break the morale of people who are trying hard to make it in Nollywood. There was a lot of scripted acting and by this I mean cast just cramming their lines and reciting them without any passion for the role that is being played. I saw some upcoming actresses that I have seen playing minor roles in some recent movies struggling to act and basically delivering lines.

My pastor says proper preparation prevents poor performance. One thing I have noticed in this industry is that people do not want to better themselves. Seeing a review like this should prompt people to go to acting classes even if for a few weeks but people think they are good enough when they are not. This being Phillippa’s first Nollywood job, I would not really blame her for casting such people, but we should get to a place in the Nollywood industry where if you are not good enough, you are just not good enough. I rest my case!

Picture Quality: The cinematography for this movie was generally good. There were no shaky pictures and generally pictures were within their frames. However, is some scenes, there was a slight gap between the close of one scene and the beginning of another. This usually lasted about two seconds.

Also of concern, were two scene where two people in one case Basira and Aunty Ifeoma (Phillippa) and in the other case Basira and Bose (Tolu) were having a conversation and for most parts of that scene all we saw was Basira. I believe proper editing can correct that and show both parties in the conversation.

Sound Quality: For a Nollywood movie, I am happy that the sound was good and there was no external interference. I was concerned at a stage when I heard a siren when the cast were inside a studio, but I discovered it was deliberate as it was meant to be that the photographer had called the police.

I also commend the wisdom of the Director for not allowing the cast actually converse this not having problems with interference in public places like the Rye Street Market.

However, my friend from Nollywood Nigeria who reviewed this movie with me was concerned about lips moving sometimes before sound and vice versa in some scenes. I believe that can be corrected in editing.

Overall performance:  Overall, in spite of my little critics, the film was a very good movie. It was comical and I read some of the comments on Bella Nigeria and in my view they were just a figment of the imagination of the writers. People kept laughing and could not leave their seats to the extent that there was a queue in the ladies toilet after the movie.

I would say a big well done to Phillippa who wrote the script, directed and produced it as well as the cast and the crew for a job well done!

The question remains if I would recommend this movie. As a reviewer and critic, and without a doubt, I would recommend this movie. As an individual, I would watch the edited and shorter version of the movie any day anytime

Once more well done to the team

Watch the trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krBkDTlTk5k