Diary of a Movie Lover

  Raj (Ruslaan Mumtaz), an Investment Banker meets and instantly falls in love with Didi (Ini Dima-Okojie). However, their parents are against the union due to their cultural differences and it's left to Didi and Raj to prove that their love is stronger than any cultural difference they have. Directed by first time filmmaker Hamisha Daryani Ahuja, the Indo-Nigerian film had a lot more misses than hits.     The two leads lacked any form of chemistry and their failed attempt at a dance number fell flat. The character development was poor making it very hard for the audience to root for this couple who only just met one dance number ago. Things only go downhill when Raj's mom lands in Lagos. She worries that Raj will only get thinner due to the fact that Didi is unable to make his favorite Indian meals. In a scene that was most likely supposed to be funny, Raj's mom and Didi engage in a cooking competition. This scene looked so forced and it only made me cringe even mor...

After so much anticipation, " Rattlesnake: The Ahanna Story" which is a remake of the 1995 classic "Rattlesnake" premiered on November 13th. The Ramsey Nouah film follows Ahana Okolo (Stan Nze) who decides to steal the life he had always wanted. He does this by assembling a team consisting of Nze (Bucci Franklin), Amara (Osas Ighodaro), Bala (Efa Iwara),  Egbe (Odera Adimorah) and Sango (Emeka Nwagbaraocha). Together, they plan and execute heists but when their biggest heist turns deadly, they all have to decide who and what they stand for.      I only saw Amaka Igwe's "Rattlesnake" a few days before seeing Noah's and it was almost impossible not to make comparisons while watching the remake. 1995's Rattlesnake had a storyline I found very interesting and with this remake, it lacked greatly in the writing department. The screenplay was very poor and you could literally tell what the actors would say in most of the scenes. They were so many po...

Directed by Chinaza Onuzo, "Who's The Boss" follows Liah (Sharon Ooja) , an Advertising Executive who struggles to climb the cooperate ladder while juggling her mean and vindictive boss Hauwa (Funke Akindele- Bello). She takes the advice of her best friend Jumoke (Ini Dima-Okojie) and enlists her friend Lekan (Blossom Chukwujekwu), a known play boy into posing as her boss but ends up falling for him. It doesn't get any more cliche than this. After watching the first teaser for the Inkblot comedy, I was a little intrigued and looked forward to seeing how they were going to pull it off but sadly, it fell short in more ways than one. The biggest issue I had was the lead character and the actress cast to play it. Ooja has been typecast and I thought seeing her as the lead would show us a different side to the actress but my perception of her acting skills are worse than before. There's nothing worth remembering about this story and her acting did nothing to el...

    Living in Bondage: Breaking Free is the sequel to the 1992 classic Living in Bondage which starred Kanayo O. Kanayo, Bob-Manuel Udokwu, Francis Agu, Ngozi Nwaneto, Nnenna Nwabueze and Kenneth Okonkwo as Andy Okeke. Filmed in Igbo with English subtitles, Living in Bondage was one of the films that set Nollywood on the right track especially in terms of how much it made. The plot followed Andy Okeke, a young man who becomes a member of a cult and sacrifices his wife to become rich and have all the influence and power he desired. The sequel centered on Andy's son, Nnamdi and his quest for riches and power just like his father. He gets involved with "The 6", a very dangerous cult with Richard Williams (Ramsey Nouah) as the leader but he soon realizes that all is not as it seems and he must find a way to escape the evil claws of Richard and The 6.    One thing that truly makes a movie standout is the story line and the trailer for Breaking Free did not give to...

  As a Historian, I'm always excited to see movies that focus on an aspect of Nigeria's history and I was looking forward to seeing what Imoh Umoren was going to do in his film based on the life of one of the founding fathers of Nigeria, Herbert Macaualay . The Herbert Macaulay Affair tells the story of Macaulay after his return from England, his work as a Surveyor in Lagos for the Whites and his opposition against Colonial rule in the 1800's.   A lot of Nigerian’s know very little about their history and this is mostly because of the lack of books, movies and documentaries that tell our stories. Prior to the release of the first teaser for The Herbert Macaulay Affair , a lot of people thought he was a white man which further proved how important this  film was. Unfortunately, The Herbert Macaulay Affair ended up being a snooze fest filled with so many errors. When a movie's sound is bad in one or two scenes, it can be somewhat overlooked but The Herbert Macaula...

The final half of 2018 saw the premiere of unforgettable movies like  “Sylvia”, “Knock Out Blessing”, “Lionheart” & “King of Boys”  and I’ve been on the look out for another outstanding film and I’m happy to say The Set Up  has been added to that list. With a stellar cast that includes Adesua Etomi-Wellington, Kehinde Bankole, Dakore Egbuson-Alan’s, Tina Mba and Jim Iyke   and directed by The Arbitration  and The Wedding Party 2’s Niyi Akinmolayan,  The Set Up follows Chike (Etomi-Wellington) and her best friend Grace (Bankole) who are drawn into a web of deceit when they are hired by a socialite (Iyke) to assist with his scheme to marry a wealthy heiress.  I had no doubts about Akinmolayan’s directing skills and he delivered yet again with The Set Up. Etomi-Wellington did a great job as Chike and I loved her and Bankole together even though I wish we got more of the two characters in their younger years. I always get super excited when...

   As each member of the Hooloway family work to solve their problems, they prepare for Mopelola's (Elvina Ibru) extravagant 51st birthday party. But the buzz about the party compels the Asset Management Corporation to foreclose on ST. Ives, the family business, after the death of his God Father Baba Eko who had been protecting Akin Holloway. He must then fight a bigger battle -getting his wife, Mopelola to cancel her party and maintain a low profile to get them off the radar while he tries to save the business.   There has been quite a lot of hype surrounding Bling Lagosians and I was really looking forward to seeing it not because it starred a bunch of really popular actors but mostly because it's directed by Bolanle Austen-Peters. I was particularly excited about seeing Elvina Ibru as the Matriarch of the Holloway family and she didn't disappoint. She was the best thing about this film and she brought her A-game to this role. I'm really hoping we see her in more ...

    If you follow me closely on my social media, then you know how much I couldn't stop raving about Dare Olaitan's 2017 film, "Ojukokoro" (Greed) . It's one of my favorite Nollywood films and I kept looking out for his next project. I wasn't particularly excited when I saw the trailer for Knock Out Blessing , It looked really plain and it didn't make me enthusiastic but I went into the theater with so much hope in Olaitan's filmmaking skills and I wasn't disappointed.     knock Out Blessing follows three girls, Blessing (Ade Laoye), Hannah (Meg Otanwa) and Oby (Linda Ejiofor) who are searching for ways to escape poverty and achieve their dreams. Their search leads them down a criminal path and they end up intertwined in a dangerous political situation. I loved Laoye, Otanwa and Ejiofor as the protagonists of this film. They did an amazing job with their characters with Otanwa being my favorite. It was interesting watching how the story u...

   In her directorial debut, Nollywood veteran, Genevieve Nnanji plays Adaeze, a young lady who grew up in the bus park with her father, Ernest Obiagu (Pete Edochie) running the very successful Lionheart Transport company in the coal city of Enugu. Adaeze is part of the management team in Lionheart but when her father suffers a hear attack, her uncle (Nkem Owoh) is placed as the head of the company. Adaeze is determined to prove herself so when she finds out that the company is in debt and on the brink of getting into the hands of an old rival, she forms an unlikely duo with her uncle to try to save the company.    I consider Genevieve Nnaji a Nollywood legend and I'm so glad she returned to the big screen after her little break. With Lionheart, it was a blissful reunion for old nollywood with faces like Nkem Owoh, Pete Edochie, Onyeka Onwenu, Ngozi Ezeonu and Kanayo O. Kanayo. The acting from these legends and the other actors including Nnaji was solid. Di...

I've always loved Zainab Balogun and my respect for her as an actress grew after seeing her play the titular character in the Psychological Drama, Sylvia. She did such an amazing job and I was really excited and looking forward to seeing her in God Calling. The Faith Based film follows Sade Okereke (Zainab Balogun) on her journey through loss, drug abuse, suicide and self discovery. The best thing about God Calling asides the stunning cinematography and plot was the cast. Zainab Balogun was the perfect actress for this role and she has come such a long way from her days as a TV Presenter. In a few years she has mastered her craft and her next movie is always better than her last. I didn't think I would love her any more than I already did after seeing Sylvia but her work in God Calling was stellar.  Karibi Fubara was also amazing as her husband, Francis Okereke. They had just the right amount of chemistry alongside their beautiful daughter Lola played by   Diana Egwuatu. Ti...

      From The Wedding Party, Fifty, The Wedding Party 2 and Hotel Hibiscus, Ebony Life Films has mastered the art of releasing Nollywood block busters. Most of them lack substance but always become box office hits due to massive marketing and casting of a lot of popular faces. They didn’t slow down with their latest film, Chief Daddy, which stars veteran actor Joke Silva, Funke Akindele, Ini Edo, Kate Henshaw, Rachel Oniga, Linda Ejiofor, Nkem Owoh, Patience Ozokwor, Richard Mofe Damijo And Dakore Akande.    With a screenplay from Bode Asinyabi and Directed by Niyi Akinmolayan, Chief Daddy tells the story of billionaire industrialist Chief Beecroft who’s second life is revealed after his death leading to a lot of family adjustments and a struggle for a large chunk of his estate.   In all honesty, I wasn’t expecting to be blown away by Chief Daddy but it was better than I expected it to be. I loved how each of the cast members broug...

  King of Boys follows the story of Alhaja Eniola Salami (Sola Sobowale), a businesswoman and philanthropist with a complicated past and a promising political future. She is a pillar of the society, loved by many and feared by most. As her political ambitions grow, she'd drawn into a power struggle that threatens everything she cares about.    I've always loved Kemi Adetiba from her days of making music videos and I was always in awe of how her work stood out from everybody else's work. She came back with King of Boys starring Sola Sobowale, Adesua Etomi, Reminisce, Toni Tones and made me appreciate her even more than I already did. Before I saw it, I was a bit  skeptical  about the fact that it had so many big names and wondered if the story and acting was going to be any good. It surpassed my expectations in every way and I  haven't  been able to stop talking  about it since I saw it. Sola Sobowale is a gem and she needs to be protec...

   AY's Merry Men: The Real Yoruba Demons follows a group of friends, Remi (Folarin Falana), Ayo (Ramsey Nouah), Naz (Jim Iyke) and Amaju (AY) who think of themselves as the most eligible bachelors in Abuja. These Merry Men have been the "Robin Hood's" of the state because of their mission of stealing from corrupt politicians and giving back to the poor. They face a daunting task when they come across a corrupt politician whose plan is to demolish the Garki village and build an ultra modern shopping complex. The plan is particularly of a personal nature to one of the Merry Men, Ayo, who has personal roots in Garki Vilage. It's left to the Merry Men to make sure this plan never comes to fruition while they deal with relationships, love, family and the risks of getting caught by the police.     From 30 Days in Atlanta to A Trip to Jamaica and 10 Days in Sun City, AY has continued to prove to Nigerians that he knows what they like and he does it again with Merr...

  Ever since Richard (Chris Attoh) was a kid, he used to see Sylvia (Zainab Balogun) in his dream and this continued every single night even during his adult life. Complications arise when Richard meets and falls in love with Gbemi (Ini Dinma-Okojie), a real woman, leading Sylvia to do everything in her power to destroy Richard's life. I would be lying if I said I didn't walk out of the movie theatre smiling and so grateful for everyone involved with this project. This year, I've seen a few Nollywood films but a lot of them left a bad taste in my mouth and made me wonder how and why the filmmakers were bold enough to release such films. I'm so glad I don't feel the same way with Sylvia. Even though it was very predictable and cliche, it didn't change the excitement that came with every scene. The execution of this Psychological Thriller was almost perfect and definitely a breath of fresh air for Nollywood. This is the film Nollywood filmmakers should emulat...

From Lagos With Love follows the story of Ify, an over thirty year old lady who's under a lot of pressure from her family for not having a man in her life, her sister Chinwe who's marriage is on the brink of collapse due to infertility and infidelity and their brother, Tunde who is under scrutiny by his mother for getting engaged to an older lady. This year has seen the release of a lot of forgettable Nollywood films and From Lagos With Love has just been added to that list. It had a very weak and cliche story that ended being poorly executed. Shaffy Bello never dissapoints with her actying skills and she did a fantastic job with her character. The other cast members showed great acting skills except for Jon Ogah. He still has a lot of work to do because it seemed like he was counting his words. It also had very poor visuals that made it look like it was shot years ago. There were also a lot of unnecessary scenes that made the entire experience cringe worthy espec...

The Africa Magic Viewers Choice Award held last night, Saturday, the 1st of September at the Eko Hotel Convention Centre. It was a night filled with a lot of glitz and glamour and of course, a few surprising wins. Omotola Jalade Ekeinde, Jade Osiberu, Bisola Aiyeola and Dolapo Adeleke were some of the winners. Here is the complete list of the winners: BEST OVERALL MOVIE Potato Potahto – Shirley Frimpong-Manso Alter Ego – Moses Inwang 18 Hours – Phoebe Ruguru-WINNER Devil’s Chest – Hassan Mageye Descent – Awal Abdulfatai The Road to Sunrise – Shemu Joyah BEST DIRECTOR Moses Inwang – Alter Ego Aloaye Omoake – Idemuza Asurf Oluseyi – Hakkunde Don Omope – Tatu Jade Osiberu – Isoken WINNER Mulindwa Richard – The Torture Shirley Frimpong-Manso – Potato Potahto BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA MOVIE/TV SERIES  Agaba Joan – The Torture Keira Hewatch – The Witness Box Miriam Kayode – Children of Mud Cinderella Sanyu – Bella Omotola Jalade Ekeinde – Alter Ego WINNER Lilian ...