Hi guys. How have you been passing time? I know we all get so busy that there’s hardly any time left to unwind. We just get up the next day and do it all over again… I know the drill, and I know it’s not sustainable, we need to find a way to unwind, to let go of our worries and duties for a while.
We all have our great days and off days, we just have to make sure there are more of the former. Find a sport, just rest, listen to music, dance, hang out with friends just do something. I’m sure they’ll be something you like. Personally, I have different ways of unwinding, music is one, my walks I don’t joke with and I also love watching movies or TV series.
I have managed to watch a few Nollywood movies and as usual, there have been few good ones and some not too good ones. However, being an avid movie watcher (not even so much Nollywood) I must say they’re not doing too badly. There has been a lot of improvement. So let’s get to it.
Nollywood on Netflix – Sunday Watch
Seven
Synopsis
After his affluent father passes, a man must survive seven days in the Nigerian neighbourhood of Ajegunle, where obstacles keep him from his inheritance. There He will go through events that will either make or break him. The movie is directed by Tosin Igho and stars Richard Mofe Damijo, Bimbo Manuel, Efa Iwara, Daddy Showkey and Uche Nwaefuna.
Plot
Rich and entitled Kolade (Efa Iwara) learns that a new condition was added to his will to teach him some life lessons. In order to access his inheritance, for seven days, Kolade has to stay in Ajegunle, Lagos; the place where his father grew up which remained close to his heart until he died. Sounds like a great plot right! It actually is and worked quite well, my only grouse was the explanation about how the tape (giving the condition) was doctored.
I enjoyed how Kolade ran into scary and unfortunate characters, the movie opens the viewers’ eyes to things some people have to do to survive. His father’s driver and friend Ejiro (Richard Mofe Damijo), helps Kolade escapes life-threatening encounters and learns the value of community.
The story was engaging enough. Even though I think more could have been done with the flash-backs, as they didn’t have any correlation with the story.
Cast
Seven had a good cast, all the actors delivered and then some more. My favourite part was seeing RMD in a role that stretched him a bit more. The strength of any actor lies in their versatility, a lot of our Nollywood actors get too comfortable in some particular roles. It’s always great to see them step out of their comfort zone. RMD was actually quite convincing in his role, even the fight scenes were too bad.
It was good to see Daddy Showkey, I’m a big fan. I went to a Federal school, (they are called unity schools) and the aim of these colleges was to bring together Nigerians from different cultures and classes. I benefitted immensely from that as it was there I got introduced to a lot of cultures and norms that I wasn’t accustomed to. One major gain from this is how it opened me to music we did not listen to at home. I got to know of different artists like Baba Fryo, Sunny T – African Fuji Mc Hammer (I bet you didn’t know that one) and Daddy Showkey. Music is very important to me ad I like dancing too. I fell in love with the ‘Galala’ dance from Ajegunle and could sing most of Daddy Showkey’s songs😁. Enough of the distraction!
I was happy to see Daddy Showkey in this movie, and I must say he did quite well too (bearing in mind that he’s not an actor). Bimbo Manuel is a class act, and his brief scenes were solid as was the late veteran Sadiq Daba. Efa Iwara is one of the actors I’m just getting to know and I must say the guy is on to something. His role interpretation is very natural and I now look forward to more movies from him.
In all, I really enjoyed the movie. It a great cast, a strong story and a very good soundtrack. 7/10
KASANOVA
Synopsis
Kasanova is a 2019 Nigerian romantic comedy film directed by Oluseyi Asurf. It stars Wale Ojo, Iretiola Doyle and Toyin Abraham in the lead roles. The film had its theatrical release on 13 September 2019 and opened to highly positive reviews and became a box office success.
Femi (Wale Ojo), a single dad falls in love with Jessica (Iri Doyle), who is a single mother. The couple met in an interesting way, (they couldn’t stand each other). They ran into each other again, a friendship ensued and that friendship blossomed into a charming love story.
Plot
What a lovely mature rom-com. I appreciate how fast the relationship between Femi and Miss Jessica blossomed because this is mature, love. At that stage in life, people know what they want and go for it, so I appreciate how they did not waste time with the love story.
I had a little problem with the plot, it all felt so ridiculously cheesy that their lives were so perfectly intertwined. Kids went to the same school, they lived in the same area 🙄. Come on, was it like staff quarters or what! It also had the forced comedy that most Nigerian movies have, (how can I unwatch Ayo Makun’s scene)! Some of Odunlade’s scenes too were unnecessary. They could have done better with the dialogue in some scenes, some of it struggled with continuity.
Cast
The movie had a great ensemble cast, I mean Ireti Doyle and Wale Ojo are class acts, Jeez, see acting, lool. The supporting cast too was fantastic, Ayo Mogaji was brilliant as Mama, Toyin Abraham did a fabulous job here, one of her best. I like Alvin Abayomi, the chemistry between him and his friends was great, their banter was really enjoyable. I felt Miss Jessica’s daughter’s acting was a little stiff, she didn’t really throw herself into the role. Ayo Makun (AY) should not have been in that movie, such a weird scene 😁.
All in all, the movie was sweet, (o dun gan😁 ). I thoroughly enjoyed it, I actually didn’t want it to end! The scene that was shot in Abeokuta (must be) had me wishing I could pack my things and move there. What great Vista, I love when movies showcase the beauty of our country, it was brilliant. I’ll give the movie a 7/10.
This lady Called Life
Synopsis
Abandoned by her family, young single mother Aiye struggles to survive but stays focused on her dream of becoming an elite chef. A film by Kayode Kasum, This Lady Called Life stars Bisola Aiyeola, Tina Mba, Wale Ojo, Efa Iwara, Lota Chukwu, Paul Utomi, Molawa Onajobi and more.
Plot
The story addresses a very crucial societal menace – Child abuse. What makes the message more profound is the form of child abuse it tackles, that from a parent. Some parents actually abuse their children in the name of discipline, many are not even aware that what they are doing is wrong! It’s great to see a movie that is bold enough to address this. Verbal abuse is often overlooked, but its effects are damning as it can kill the morale of anybody exposed to it. like this can pass this message across.
The movie also touched on rape, though subtly. It sends a strong message to Sexual assaults and Verbal abuse victims that they can rise above it all. It also sends a strong message to parents on how easily parenting can turn to abuse.
Tina Mba’s character’s treatment of her daughter almost felt unreal, it is however very common and the effects of parental and verbal abuse can be seen in how Bisola’s character struggled with acceptance and self-confidence.
Cast
It’s the versatile Wale Ojo again, gosh that guy is good! Tina Mba is another great Nigerian actress, both of them were this movie’s pillar. The younger cast especially Bisola and Efe also carried the movie very well. It had a small cast, but that was just enough to carry the message across brilliantly.
Conclusion
This lady called life is a very good movie with an important message which was passed across in a simple way. The simplicity is what has made this movie very appealing. It’s a story of love, friendship and redemption. 7/10
Synopsis
An organized ardent female art enthusiast who is about to marry a man of her cherishing dreams then faces sudden obstacles and challenges after becoming pregnant accidentally even before her marriage. This spoiled her well prepared laid out plans and strategies and she embarks on a challenging mission in search of the father of the unborn baby.
The film stars Toyin Abraham, Enyinna Nwigwe, Kehinde Bankole and Odunlade Adekola in the lead roles. It had its theatrical release on 14 February 2020 with mixed reviews from critics.
Plot
Okay,(rubs hands😁) The movie follows the ordeals of an about-to-be-wed couple who fall under quite unfortunate circumstances. Affy and Michael are weeks away from their wedding and can’t wait to break their 18-month celibacy. And then everything comes crashing down.
Michael is on the verge of losing his job if he fails to secure a deal that will save the company. He has only one hope of saving his job and having enough money to pay for his wedding; indulging the propositions of Mrs Douglas, a multimillionaire real estate developer.
Desperate and conflicted, Michael goes through with it. He gets the deal and a huge commission and everything seems great until… of-course Affy finds out 🥱 and calls off the wedding 😴.
Oh, what a mess! There was just too much going on, the forced comedy, the ridiculous plot twist and the underwhelming ending! Lool, I expected much when I saw the cast, but I don’t know when some of these filmmakers will realise that loading your film with popular faces doesn’t mean it’ll be great. There was so much going on that the plot became confusing.
Cast
Sighs! The main cast Kehinde and Eyinna did a great job. Some of the supporting cast like Bimbo Akintola and Jide Kosoko were also fantastic Now, what in the world was Odunlade up to! Did Teni think acting is child’s play 😂😂😂 too many unnecessary scenes and forced comedy spoilt what could have been a great movie.
I’ll give this one a 4.
Mama Drama
Synopsis
Mama Drama tells the story of Mena and her surrogate mother, Kemi, who both enter into an agreement to help birth Mena’s baby into the world. Things don’t go quite as planned and now they both must make the hardest decision of their lives
Plot
I don’t even know where to start from! This movie took a lot from me, I was emotionally vested in it from start to finish. The movie played out very well, occasional flashbacks explained some missing parts or should I say answered some questions on the mind of the viewer.
I think my only grouse is with Kemi’s living condition before the surrogacy. It just did not correspond with the kind of job she had, I wasn’t expecting her to be living I’m a mansion, but more decent quarters would have made more sense.
I love the fact that the movie tackled some critical issues people walk around ‘head on’. It tackled inter-tribal marriage and how it’s still an issue today (unbelievable right). It also tackles the age difference in marriage and how some families frown when their son marries a lady older than him (sighs).
Now the most important topic the movie handles expertly is ‘Infertility’. It brings to life the struggles couples face when they are trying to have a child. The focus was on the options available for people in this circumstance, IVF treatments and “Surrogacy”. IVF has now become more accepted by people but surrogacy is still usually shrouded in secrecy.
The plot was great in addressing these deep issues without losing the viewer’s attention, they even still managed a little comedy here and there. It was brilliant.
Cast
Can I commend the casting director or whoever did the casting on a fantastic job well done. Then, can I present a best-supporting actress Academy award to Shaffy Bello or Chinyere Wilfred? Goodness me, the cast was amazing. Femi Adebayo brought a little humour with his role, the lawyers, gosh the courtroom scenes were intense and that Judge, (i was wondering if they used a real judge) she was that good. They even brought an expert witness who actually educated us… ! I forgot I was watching a movie, it was all so real.
Everybody did a great job, I can’t even fault anyone (well except for when Femi Adebayo called Kemi – Dotun 🙄, but the movie was so good that I’ll let it slide.
Conclusion
What a movie, the movie was believable, we believed the Adelanas were very wealthy thanks to lovely estate and the brilliant work done by the wardrobe crew (well except for Gboyega’s wardrobe, it was very regular). What makes this movie so good is the societal problem it tackles. The issue of inter-tribal marriage, age difference in marriage, and fertility issues, IVF and of course Surrogacy. There was also the message that you can love a child that’s not biologically yours which just subtly touches on adoption.
Well done to everyone involved in this fantastic movie. I’ll rate this an 8.5/10.
That’s all folks, get awatching but not until you’ve shared and left a message 😘.
Great reviews, loved Mama Drama. Definitely one that tugs at the heart strings