Mark Whitacre (Matt Damon)

The Informant! opens with a distinctively retro feel: the font used in the titles; the soft focus, slightly over lit and orange toned cinematography; the overblown spy film music by legendary film and stage composer Marvin Hamlisch and the close-ups on old-school recording devices all evoke Francis Ford Coppola’s 1974 surveillance classic The Conversation. It then comes as somewhat of a surprise to learn that The Informant! is set during the early to mid 1990s. Not only does this retro style remind us of how much has changed since the still fairly recent digital revolution but it also creates a slightly over-the-top paranoid mood, which was a characteristic of Cold War themed 1970s cinema. This mood then contrasts beautifully with the very droll, borderline ridiculous, based-on-a-true-story narrative about a corporate whistle blower who worked with the FBI to expose his company’s price-fixing practices.

The whistle-blower is Mark Whitacre and he is played brilliantly by Matt Damon. Whitacre is a truly bizarre character who on the surface seems like an endearingly simple and naive company man but is also somebody with very ambiguous motives. Damon’s voiceovers throughout the film cue the audience into Whitacre’s thought process and very quickly it becomes clear that he has an incredibly active mind that is also going off on strange tangents. Whitacre may be nodding his head in agreement during an important meeting but in his mind he is musing over the way polar bears try to hide themselves. The results are frequently funny but there is a sense throughout The Informant! that something is just not right with Whitacre. Indeed, later in the film it becomes apparent that he is a completely unreliable narrator who not only constantly deceives the audience and the other characters, but also himself.

After presumably finishing up with the Ocean’s Eleven films in 2007, Steven Soderbergh made the two-part Che film in 2008 and now The Girlfriend Experience and The Informant! in 2009. The price of being so prolific is that inevitably the quality of the films does suffer. While The Informant! is an improvement on the single-idea experimental film The Girlfriend Experience it doesn’t feel as polished and tight as it could have been. It’s still an inventive film with an excellent performance by Damon and Hamlisch’s glorious over-the-top score is a real treat. Nevertheless, this strange and off-kilter corporate satire never quite feels as fulfilling as it could have been.

© Thomas Caldwell, 2009

Read more reviews at MRQE

“Don’t make me be a bad girl again!”

***Major spoilers are a lurking in this here blog.***

So here I am again dear reader, reviewing another ‘Erotic thriller’ and another De Palma one at that ( See the older post on Body Double). This movie is the sex thriller that Hitchcock was never able to make as the tastes and morals of the time were far more restrictive, you’ve heard about the outcry in the media regarding the shower scene in Psycho yes?, and there wasnt even any nudity or gore!. I bet he would have LOVED the shower scene in this film. This film is a relative new discovery for me, which I found through the fabulous Horror films of the 1980’s book by John Kenneth Muir, which has become Miss Lipstattoo’s bible of late.

Watching Dressed to kill for the first time I thought overall it was a little too campy to be taken as a serious thriller movie, but after seeing De Palma’s other works such as Body Double, Snake eyes and Raising Cain I’ve come to realise that it’s his style, and it actually does work. Films labeled as ‘Erotic thrillers’ can take themselves far too seriously with overly intense dialogue and ridiculous sex scenes, and this can cause the audience to laugh at the film rather than with it, let’s take Showgirls as an example. And then let’s set fire to it, spit on it whilst flicking the V’s.

Dressed to kill tells the story of Kate Miller ( Angie Dickinson), a sexually repressed and bored New York housewife who is unhappy in her marriage and her husbands selfish approach to love-making ( So much so that she fantasies about being raped as she masturbates in the shower) . She seeks advice from a psychiatrist Dr. Elliott ( Michael Caine). Kate even makes  a pass at him, not that she is really interested, what she really craves is some excitement and passion in her life.

She visits an art museum for a day to herself, but becomes entranced by a man she meets there. After following him around the installations for an age, she finally catches up with him and they go back to his apartment for a little sumthin’ sumthin’. Afterwards she goes to write him a thank you and goodbye note but instead of finding some paper she finds a letter from a doctor informing Mr afternoon delight that he has a STD, she storms from the apartment in tears, only to be violently killed in the lift by a tall imposing blond woman wielding a straight edge razor.

A  high price call girl, Liz ( Nancy Allen) witnesses the murder and now the killer Amazonian is after her. After police try to pin the murder on her, Liz teams up with Kate’s genius son Peter ( Keith Gordon) to try and find out who murdered her. Their investigation leads them back to Dr. Elliot who is treating an utter nut-job of a patient called Bobbi who is hoping to have a sex change. Liz and Peter devise a plan to get a look at Dr. Elliot’s appointment book to find out the mysterious Bobbi’s full name, and Liz does this the only way she knows how, by trying to seduce him, but she doesn’t  know how far into the belly of the beast she is venturing.

“Oh…I borrowed your razor…and–well, you’ll read all about it”

De Palma is so obvious in his love for all thing Hitchcock, See Body double for his take on the Rear Window theme, that it is clear why film reviewers find it so easy to make lazy comparisons, but there is something elevated about De Palmas references and homages that take it far beyond plagiarism.  Dressed to kill has many similarities to Psycho. It has a shower scene, a woman in peril and a twist to the killer, and the way certain shots are filmed echo Hitchcock through and through, but there is a defining stamp on his films that is uniquely his, it makes you forget that De Palma is “borrowing” from one of the greatest thriller directors, Unlike, I must point out, that piece of shit film Disturbia which was just a Rear window for the tweenagers, actually I bet that was the movie pitch in Hollywood *vomit*

Dressed to kill is a really captivating film, the sheer scale of some of the set pieces is truly impressive, the museum being a perfect example, the twisting and turning of Kate’s journey to find her future lover really draws you in.  Each step she takes around the grand white walls is full of excitement and anticipation, we are right there with her and even though she is married, we want her to have some excitement and we will her to make a move, a gesture towards this suitor. This is also amplified by the grandeur of a beautiful, sweeping score by Pino Donaggio, intense and yet still romantic. The way that the camera follows Kate around the museum and visa versa is a very neat trick, it’s as if we are also playing the game of cat and mouse with her and this mystery man. To me this is cinema and direction at it’s best.

Here is the score for the wonderful  museum scene

De Palma does like to throw in his curve balls, after Kate has had her liason with Mr VD, she leaves in such a hurry that she forgets her wedding ring, she rushes back to the room and grabs it. At this point in the film we as the audience are thinking “What if she gets caught out having an affair?” or “What if Kate has caught an STD?” and them BAM!, she gets sliced and diced, we weren’t expecting t that at all, much like we did with Marion Crane in Psycho, we were so preoccupied with hoping that she had gotten away from her boss with all the money that she has stolen we never gave a thought to the fact that she might be murdered.

The scene in which Kate visits her psychiatrist  is so intense that you hardly notice Michael Caine’s Dr Elliot, which is a fabulous piece of misdirection from the director, as you’re so caught up in Kate’s worries and problems that you never think for a moment that this quiet unassuming man may be a threatening presence.

The first half of the movie, although very important, can feel like it’s dragging, but this set up is very important in regards to making the link between sex, lust and the murders, but it’s when we get to the central story which focuses on Allen’s hooker and Kate son, does the film really pick up some speed and purpose. This movie isn’t really a traditional psychological thriller nor a slasher,  in the same sense that I felt Body double didn’t reach it’s intended goal to be a captivating, erotic thriller, but as with many De Palma films they are in their own genre altogether.

I’m desperately trying not to give away the twist, which to be honest you will see coming a mile off, but the canny link between sexual trysts, the Dr and murders are a fabulous device to use in a thriller and are used to amazing effect here. You start to dread the scenes where something erotic might happen, for the age-old idiom sex = death is truly at play here. A wonderful, chilling and atmospheric film which I throughly recommend.

Here is a vintage trailer for Dressed to kill which includes some of the museum scenes. Enjoy

]]> http://nollywoodforever.com/2009/12/02/marshals/ Wed, 02 Dec 2009 12:03:00 +0000 Nollywood Forever http://nollywoodforever.com/2009/12/02/marshals/

Marshals

Originally uploaded by NollywoodForever

Marshals ~ 2009
Story – Chibuzor Emelu Simon
Screenplay – Chibuzor Emelu Simon, Greg Chyke Inawodoh
Director – Kalu Anya

Starring:
Emeka Ike – Andy
Van Vicker – Jerry
Tonto Dikeh – Cathy
Halima Abubakar – Silver
Ali Nuhu – Nick
Queen Nwokoye – Anita
Prince Eke – Emeka
Chukwuma Uchegbu – Braimor
Kalu Anya – Inspector James
Collins Chinedu Okoro – Morris
Mac-Donald Ekemezie – Osmond
Chioma Chris – Tracy
Chibuzor Emelu Simon – Rotimi
Eunan Chidomere – Ukonu
Victor Oguguo – Big Sam
Zubby Michaels – Abe

Themes:
Drugs
Corruption
Chronic Unemployment
Poverty

My Rating – 69%

Andy, Jerry and Emeka are three friends that have fallen upon hard times. Emeka is fired from his hospital job for stealing 11,000 Naira, despite paying 17,000 to secure the job in the first place. Jerry is a lawyer who quits his job in Port Harcourt because he is missing his girlfriend. Only to return and find that not only is she seeing someone else but she is not happy to see him. Andy is a US trained doctor who is getting paid next to nothing working in a local hospital. He is at a dead end as he cannot get a bank loan to start his own clinic as he so desires.

One day a guy called Braimor collapses in the hospital and Andy saves his life. On leaving the hospital he leaves Andy his business card and tells him that he can call anytime and “ask for anything.” One day in a state of desperation Andy calls and brings Jerry and Emeka with him to come and meet Braimor. In no time at all they accept his offer to join his “business enterprise,” believing this a sure fire way to improve their situations in life.

*************SPOILERS*************

Nick is an old friend of the boys. When we first see him he is brandishing a gun on meeting them and it would appear that he is involved in a criminal lifestyle. Thinking that he is a criminal his friends welcome and embrace him with very open arms, wanting to get involved in whatever he is involved in, seeing that as a way out of their poverty stricken lives. Nick reveals that he is not actually a criminal but rather involved in State Security the reaction is one of repulsion,

“Police – Ah!”

“God forbid – Devil get behind me!”

“I’d rather stay a pocket lawyer than go chasing criminals”

What does this say about how the police are regarded in Nigeria, and the levels of crime or fierceness of it?

Nick as a detective finds it difficult to deal with the fact that he always has to appease corrupt officials as well as those with enough cash and connections to get away with their crimes. He expresses his woes to his friends and when he tries to give them forms to fill in for State Security jobs they request to be hooked up with 419ers and armed robbers instead. This scene had me in fits of laughter. Emeka tells Nick, “Wetin now? We no wan be police!”

When the boys actually start making money we see Andy tell the other boys,

“Why did I waste my life on messy, sticky medicine career, I should have been a drug baron my whole life.

We see how chronic unemployment can affect the minds of the youth. To be a doctor is a prestigious, respected profession yet Andy regrets not going into crime earlier. Even though he is fully qualified there was not the opportunity for him to fufill his dream of opening his own clinic and despite his qualifications he was not afforded the opportunity to be paid decently.
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It has to be said. I am not feeling Ali Nuhu ATL ALL. I find his whole demeanour to be stiff and awkward. His voice grates on me. If I knew him in real life I’d probably always be shouting at him all the time, “SPEAK UP!”

I don’t normally like Emeka Ike but I thought that this was a good role for him. It allowed him to showcase his comic ability. It was soooooo good not seeing him in the lover boy role. In one of his funny scenes he shouts at Emeka, played by Prince Eke after taking his shoes off in his room,

“Today I dey battle hunger problem and you are trying to add toxic problem to it. Robbish! Mind yourself well well.”

Van was gisting in pidgin most of the time. His flow was effortless and he was actually a joy to watch. Van was looking very dark. At first I thought it was overexposure to the sun but then on closer inspection is seemed to be make up. If indeed it was make up then that the person applying was very heavy handed.

Tonto was supposed to be frumpy and dowdy, but she was in fact looking anything but. Her make up and weave were nice and subtle and her clothes were simple, classy and fitted. In one scene she was even wearing a boob tube, na wa ooo! What kind of frumpiness is this?

What was the point to Queen’s character? There didn’t seem any need for her to be there. Perhaps she has a bigger role in the part 3 which I have not yet watched.
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I would recommend this movie. It was entertaining but at the same time tackled some real issues, like poverty, crime, and corruption. It was very funny in parts and highly dramatic in others. Van, Emeka and Prince made a good trio and it is a feel good movie in the sense that justice prevails in the end.

A Serious Man: the monumental breakdown of a weedy, pushover, atheist Jew as he searches for the ultimate answer, why him? The humour is the ultimate in dry / deadpan / dark / awkward and the story’s as bleak as anything else I’ve seen – so much so that handfuls of people walked out of the cinema around the 30-40 minute mark. The slow pace of the film didn’t help matters much and neither did the over-the-top ‘Jewishness’ – with lots of Yiddish vocabulary being used. The opening act didn’t seem to have anything to do with the rest of the film, and ended up being a distraction – whereas the finale is as  open-ended as No Country. It’s shot well, remaining pretty stylish and retro throughout and the acting’s of a pretty high standard – there’s also a few tactically placed laughs to slightly lighten the mood. Overall it’s totally pessimistic, bleak, relentless & overwhelming with no likable characters and not enough funnies to balance it out. Very difficult to watch, unless you’re a diehard Coen fan or were Jewish in the 1960s.

Score: 4/10

Paranormal Activity is the story of a young San Diego couple who are haunted by things that go bump in the night. Armed with a video camera the set out to record the paranormal activity in the hope of stopping it. Shot in a Blair Witch/[•Rec]/Cloverfield style using only the video camera images the film is intended to look like real footage. For the most part it actually succeeds in doing this.

The great thing about the film is the simplicity of it. Set within the confines of a suburban house, it can at times be claustrophobic. Aside from the paranormal the young couple (Katie Featherston and Micah Sloat) are realistic and believable helping the paranormal element work perfectly. It is actually a benefit that unknown actors where used in these roles. The film develops slowly showing the video footage over several nights as well as the couple’s reaction during the day. This gradual build actually lends a sense of believability to a supernatural story. The way the film demonstrates the effect on the couple’s relationship also is also effective.

Where the film does fall a little short, although genuinely creepy it isn’t actually scary. Even a few cheep make you jump moments would have helped. Watching the audience reaction in the trailer suggests some people did react that way. Some of the most effective scenes are actually when we see nothing; on a couple of occasions the characters “forget” to take the camera with them and leave it fixed and we only have the extremely effective sound to tell us what is happening.

Although not the best film ever made it is a fantastic demonstration of what can be done on a miniscule budget (around $15,000), and is enjoyable and interesting to watch. warning slight plot spoiler ahead: to its credit the film doesn’t give much in way of explanation to what is happening. The final shot explains a lot but also asks many unanswered questions. End of spoiler. Hopefully the film will remain as a stand alone piece, I somehow think like The Blair Witch Project the money men won’t be able to resist cashing in though. On final thought, it really should carry an 18 certificate; nothing in the film warrants an 18 but it would have kept the kids out who sat at the back of the cinema talking throughout the film. If I had wanted a commentary with my movie I would have waited for the DVD.

Law Abiding Citizen I forgot i watched this movie… twice I Liked this movie very much. It stars Gerard Butler (P.S I love you, 300, the ugly truth) and Jamie Foxx (Ray, Stealth, Jarhead). The cinematography was just brilliant, the CGI was pretty close to being flawless, and the plot-line. OMG The plot line, was extremely fresh (in my opinion, I know other “raters” thought it was redundant). I think the plot-line AND the cinematography (director as well) put together was incredible. I wonder if there is a book… hmm have to look into that. I highly suggest shelling out the $7-$15 admission charge to watch this movie. So out of 5 braids.. I’m giving this a 5.. that’s right… a 5

Movies to watch out for:

Letters To Juliet, Leap Year, The Road, Everybody’s fine, Precious, Date Night, When in Rome

“A poem needs understanding through the senses. The point of diving in a lake is not immediately to swim to the shore; it’s to be in the lake, to luxuriate in the sensation of water. You do not work the lake out. It is an experience beyond thought.”

This is the advice the poet John Keats gives Fanny Brawne to try and understand poetry. The film is all about their pivotal relationship and the impact of their love on his poetry.

See this film, whilst it’s out in all good cinemas at the moment. It’s very good, very sad and very beautiful. Whatever you do, don’t forget to take along your hankies… this film is also, incidentally, an ode to sewing! It nearly makes me want to learn to sew, only nearly though, as I’m very very lazy, so would rather read a book instead.

Charlie and Johnny Boy duck the law in "Mean Streets".

(Martin Scorsese, 1973)

December 2, 2009

by Joel Crary

Martin Scorsese’s “Mean Streets” presents a character who knows he’s bound to burn in hell and offers scenes in which he holds his hand out to desensitize it to open flames in preparation. At first, he pulls it away in pain, but by the end of the film he is able to hold it over a burning barbecue stove and call it “fine”. In a way, Charlie (Harvey Keitel) is the prototype of a lot of the tough-as-nails crooked Italian-Americans that Scorcese would come to showcase in his gangster pictures. There has always been a fascination with the paradox of the holy and the profane in Scorsese’s scripts, but “Mean Streets” especially grants a look at how the spiritual sides of these men are burning away in their bodies.

Scorsese grew up with these character types. He saw them in Little Italy, hanging around in doorways, telling stories about bravado in the face of the law and the businessmen who could do them a lot of harm if they’d only catch them first. Scorsese has a lot of affection for his memory of these guys as they present their girlfriends like trophies and cover their backs when a punch is thrown. An unpaid debt is a mortal sin that requires confession. In a Scorsese film, morality is judged by capital, and those desperate for it inevitably twist it into survival at all costs.

Robert De Niro’s Johnny Boy is a sinner, a defiler of the street order of things who believes that he can take advantage and not care about the people he shares a neighbourhood with. Early in the film, Charlie explains to a friend via voiceover that the Catholic Church is no longer enough to absolve his particular lifestyle and that he must do it on his own. All of the institutions seen in the film – religion, family, friendship, love, business – are intricately and tragically interconnected. Right is separated from wrong by who ends up with a bullet in their neck.

Charlie takes it upon himself to look after Johnny Boy, who repeatedly disappoints him. Michael (Richard Romanus), a local imported goods fencer, is growing increasingly tired of Johnny’s cocky attitude and the fact that he’d rather spend money on hats and drinks than pay him off. Charlie is romantically involved with Johnny’s cousin Teresa (Amy Robinson), so he walks a thin line between familial and business obligations. His ambition is to move up in the world, but he can’t help but involve himself with dishonourable men.

A part of me is always baffled by gangster films. Strong feelings of sympathy and incredulity rush forward as I wonder why the characters can’t simply put aside their filthy practices and start new lives, but the world of organized crime has a magnet at its nucleus. It spins with the combined indelible pull of easy success, chauvinistic macho stature, racial jealousy and the ideals of perverted saints. Charlie and Johnny converse in the graveyard of the first Catholic cathedral in New York City and death feels right next door. Charlie idolizes St. Assissi, but certainly there are many in Hell who do, men who have gone too far and will never see paradise.

With his small frame, meek countenance and asthma, it is difficult to imagine Martin Scorsese the man fitting in with this crowd. But Scorsese was first and foremost a storyteller – it is his voice, not Keitel’s, that we hear serving as narrator. He had an ear for dialogue and took great lengths to present it honestly and accurately. It was his actors that made the dialogue and inflection what it is today, positioning every “Get outta heah” and each exclamation of “Ay!” in the world’s consciousness of New York at a specific time and street corner. It is a city that has become many things in many people’s imaginations and a lot of that has to do with the film medium and Scorsese’s contributions in particular.

In my favourite scene, Scorsese keeps the camera in a straight-ahead closeup on Charlie’s face as he wanders drunkenly around a party with the deep red lights shining on his features like hellfire. People bump into him, spill drinks in his hair, kiss him on the cheek, and the smirk never leaves his lips before he passes out on a table. The party is for a returned Vietnam War vet, who experiences a flashback and attacks a woman on the dance floor. It’s the kind of moment that gels Scorsese’s vision of America, a country that raises fundamentally good people to do nefarious things for the sake of values they don’t quite understand.

“Mean Streets” helped kick-start a far more visceral mode of storytelling in the cinema. Film became a reflection of and reaction to violence seen on television sets, in homes on the nightly news. Other directors such as Peckinpah, Cassavettes, Coppola and Hopper had already offered the initial blows to American cinematic convention, but Scorsese is the most responsible for how today’s effective crime dramas operate. “Mean Streets” naturalizes the criminal life without exonerating it. It turns the bad guys into tragic figures who believe that they can shout louder than God can be silent.

Click here for my review of these films: Failed Systems: Two new documentaries explore religion and poverty

THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON did the expect thing and took out top spot for the weekend, but not before getting a scare with the phenomenally successful THE BLIND SIDE which came within a whisker of taking out top spot by increasing the size of its audience on last weekend.

The final number from the Top 12 films are below:

1. The Twilight Saga: New Moon – $42,870,031
2. The Blind Side – $40,111,364
3. 2012 – $17,651,729
4. Old Dogs – $16,894,511
5. A Christmas Carol (2009) – $15,758,273
6. Ninja Assassin – $13,316,158
7. Planet 51 – $10,218,641
8. Precious – $7,081,032
9. The Fantastic Mr. Fox – $6,965,267
10. The Road – $1,502,231
11. The Men Who Stare At Goats – $1,501,837
12. The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day – $1,301,197

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL REPORT ON ALL ABOUT MOVIES.NET

Overall it was an impressive weekend of box office takings, despite being down on last weekend. The Top 9 films made over $6.5 million, recording small drops in audience, or in some cases, including A CHRISTMAS CAROL, small increases. Business is booming!

Regards, Todd.

Runs ~ 2002
Story/ Screenplay – Reginald Ebere
Director – Tarila Thompson, Elochukwu Anigbogu

Starring:
Genevieve Nnaji – Adesuwa
Georgina Onuoha – Grace
Oby Edozie – Victoria
Anita Hogan – Anita
Steph Nora Falana – Nene
Uche Uwuji – Sandra
Basgorge Tariah Jnr – James
Christy Okonkwo – Adesuwa’s Mother
Donald Okolie – Rev Father
Ike Okor – Cchief
Rose Ofuzim – Dada
Chinelo Nancy – David Girlfriend

Themes:
Prostitution
Economic Migration
Greed

My Rating 73%

Adesuwa, Nene, Victoria and Grace are group of girls at university live in a house together and fund their studies by doing “runs.” For all those that don’t know Runs is, it is basically prostitution. These girls are patronised by Aristos. In the Nigerian context Aristo refers to rich middle aged to old men who patronise female students. All the girls are involved in runs apart from Grace.

Grace was advised by her aunt before she came to university about the joys and the lows of sex,

“Sex can be sweet, very very sweet but it can also destroy you.”

It is advice that she tries to pass onto the other girls but they pay her no mind. As we see Grace try and talk each girl out of their lifestyle choice we also get a glimpse into the character of each girl and why she makes the choices she does.

We hear that Nene has been raped and by doing runs she feels that she is taking control over her sexuality where once she had no control. Oby’s long term boyfriend cheated on her with a close friend, and she has lost trust in men, seeing them only good for using for money, and for Adesuwa runs is simply a means to support her flossy lifestyle.

*************SPOILERS**************

When the girls are invited to Italy to do what they are doing anyway with the chance of making way more money all the girls except Grace go for it. They raise all the money needed for the documents and flights and it is only then when they have made all the plans that they are told by the guy arranging it that they will need to go to a Babalawo for charms. They find this alarming and are put off, even moreso when they are told that the guy will retain 50 percent of their earnings.

Gradually things do not seem as great as they first did but still they go ahead with the plans and fly to Italy. It can be seen through this how easily young girls can be lured into prostitution. They were told only of big money and nothing about the negatives was presented to them. It was only once they had invested financially and emotionally that it became apparent that it wasn’t the perfect easy solution as they had imagined.
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When they first get to Italy it seems as though they are living the high life. Adesuwa is sending back money to her boyfriend to build her a house and Anita one of their friend’s at university expresses regret that she did not join them. It is only after a few years that the true and ravaging effects of prostitution become apparent. Vicky is dead after being raped and murdered. Nene is a drug addict facing deportation and Adesuwa contracts HIV.

At the end of the movie we are shown both Adesuwa and Vicky on their hospital beds looking like they are suffering immensely. They way they had them marked up with black spots all over their body looked a bit ridiculous and they were both “made up” (if you can call it that) in the same way, it looked like cigarette burns or something. They would have been better off leaving Adesuwa without all the cigarette burn effects. After all don’t they say, “AIDS no dey show for face.”
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Since I could not find a picture for the cover of this movie I posted a picture up of Genevieve instead!

The movie opens with a long drawn out dancing scene. It is way too long and all you can see for about 5 minutes is butts wriggling at the camera. It seems pointless, even now when I look back upon it, it did not serve any purpose.

It was good seeing all these actresses that you hardly ever see anymore, I used to love Oby Edozie (how do you spell her name anyway? I’ve seen it also spelt Edozien and Edozieh!) in her bag girl roles. In this one she was doing her usual fighting and wahala over a man. I have never actually seen her in a role where she wasn’t doing that! All the girls had an easy chemistry together and there was a lot of yarning in pidgin.
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I would recommend this movie. It was a nice short movie with a clear and loud message: MONEY IS NOT EVERYTHING. If you have money and in order to have that money you catch HIV, what is the point? How will you enjoy money when you are dead? There is also the message that if something sounds too good to be true then is probably is. There will be a price to pay. Nollywood Production Idumota Lagos Nigeria Africa Movie Watch Nigerian Movies African Movie Review Reviews

Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

A shot from the first few seconds of the film.

I was prompted to buy Eyes Wide Shut again when I realized the blu-ray was the unrated version only previously available in Europe. I thought that might mean it would be closer to what Kubrick intended Eyes Wide Shut to be, but the additional footage is really just some extra sexual content. I should clarify that it isn’t really extra footage at all, it’s just that a bunch of robed figures blocking our view from some naughty behavior in the American release were actually removed in this version so you can see the naughty behavior. I didn’t even realize the figures were there and now I have to get my arms around the reasons why they were included to begin with. I assume the film would not have got by the MPAA at the time.  I don’t know, you judge for yourself (I’ve attached some pictures below for comparison).  If you don’t know already, Eyes Wide Shut is a film with quite a bit of nudity no matter what version you possess, so really, who gives a shit.

The shot from the left has added figures to prevent us from the seeing any naughty activities, which are visible on the right.

Kidman is nude from behind a lot in Eyes Wide Shut. Superfluous but forgiveable I suppose.

Nevertheless, I’m not convinced this is what Kubrick intended Eyes Wide Shut to be, but contemplating what he did intend is fascinating to me. I actually consider Kubrick among my favorite directors, so this fascination is probably not as applicable to non-fans. Of his films, Eyes Wide Shut is, along with Barry Lyndon, his least appreciated and most criticized, although not by me. Eyes Wide Shut is actually one of my favorite Kubrick films. Even though it is not as cohesive as his others; it is, on the surface at least, among his most stylized. The interactions characters have are slow and deliberate and it gives the meaning behind each word and each frame more clarification. Many call this quality dreamlike and it is. Expressing reality doesn’t seem to be a priority in Eyes Wide Shut and I wonder if the film was ever meant to be reality in the first place. Although the film is dreamlike per se, there is nothing at all to indicate that any of it was a dream. In fact, the presence of the cult mask on Alice and Bill’s bed verifies the exact opposite. Still, I for one believe the style is absolutely intentional and that is supported by the meticulous photography in the film. Almost every shot seems like it was mulled over again and again. It is no wonder Kubrick had the reputation for doing almost a hundred takes. He was a perfectionist and, at least visually, Eyes Wide Shut has more moments of perfection than not. The acting is good too but really, the control Kubrick has is so evident that it is hard to credit the actors. However, Nicole Kidman is particularly strong and as a bonus her ass is terrific to look at.

Tom Cruise (masked in the middle of the shot) in a scene leading to the film's climax, and yes, there are naked women in this scene too.

With all that said, Eyes Wide Shut may seem otherworldly, but its psychological commentary on marital fidelity from the male perspective is very real. Dr. Bill Harford (Tom Cruise) is told by his wife Alice (Nicole Kidman) that she had at one time thought about having an affair. The paranoia, possibilities, and the trials he endures psychologically and in terms of his fidelity to her, are tested as he walks around New York City and guides us through his many surreal and outwardly sexual encounters. It is an exhibition of his gradual psychological breakdown after his wife shared her secret and all of his encounters seem to be taunting him in his fragile state. There’s more than enough here to make it a great film and to connect almost all of the dots, however, some interesting conspiracy theories exist about the orgy cult that becomes the center of the film’s climax. I’d recommend checking those out if you like this movie but I’m not going to reveal my opinion of them one way or the other.

Shot from the orgy scene.

With all of that said, I thought the characters themselves are normal and well-adjusted, so the commentary itself is even more significant. They are actually good people in a film about doing what is all too often perceived as bad things (i.e. sex). I’m sure there are good reasons not to like Eyes Wide Shut, but for the most part I thought it was unfairly reviewed because of the sexual content and the sexual commentary. We are so used to seeing nudity strictly used gratuitously, that it was easy to be cynical of its consistent use here, and that is just the visual sexual elements never mind what the film’s deeper intentions are overall. I’m not surprised I guess because if the film has a flaw, it is that it’s too cryptic at times. Either way, I think it’s a great movie and it is nice to see it gain more credibility and praise with time.

My rating is 5 out of 5 stars.

Godzilla: 60% mega monster destruction and 40% bittersweet romance between two of the mains. It has the tried and tested 90’s mix of epic action and silly fun that you don’t often find these days. The one thing that struck me when re-watching this was that it has a lot of memorable scenes; Godzilla’s entrance at the pier, streets ‘jumping’ with his footsteps, ‘zilla on the Brooklyn Bridge, ‘zilla taking out the choppers – too many to name! The opening scene with a-bomb test footage and epic orchestrated score is pretty chilling. There’s a load of cheeky reptile references throughout which is a nice touch, and the stereotypical sneaky French guys (fronted by Reno) are good fun to watch. There’s also a lot of subtle product placement, the likes of which hadn’t been done again until I-Robot: although not quite as subtly! unfortunately, the beast hasn’t aged too well, with a shed-load of dated cultural references and naff CGI / mini-models. Despite this, it’s still a classic, and great fun to watch. Entertaining big buck blockbuster.

Score: 6/10

Christian Bale dukes it out with robot baddies while portraying John Connor in the science-fiction film “Terminator Salvation.”

Only a couple of mainstream movies are making their way onto video this week, but both should do a fairly good job pleasing their target audiences.

Terminator: Salvation
3 stars (out of four)
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and language
Warner Brothers
Available on: DVD and Blu-ray

The first three “Terminator” movies spend a lot of time describing a future world where humanity is at war with killer machines but, because time travel is central to the plotting, we’re forced to imagine the horrifying struggle. Thanks to “Salvation,” the fight is no longer relegated to imagination.

The film is set in a future version of Earth where John Connor (Christian Bale), the prophesized savior of humanity, is serving in a military resistance against hostile machines that essentially control the planet. Because he has been fighting time-traveling robots since he was a child, John has a pretty good idea where his life is headed and he also knows it’s imperative that he find a man named Kyle Reese so that he can send him back in time with orders to save Sarah Connor (his own mother). Complicating John’s quest are military superiors who want to see things done their way and the appearance of a strange being named Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington), a machine-human hybrid who may or may not be a friend. It sounds complicated, but it will make perfect sense to the Terminator faithful, and that’s who this film was made for.

This is the first Terminator movie by former music video director McG (“Charlie’s Angels,” “We Are Marshall”), and he does a fine job capturing the spirit of the series. His vision of human vs. machine warfare is outstanding and it is especially intriguing to see the addition of several new Terminator robots, including scouts that travel roads like motorcycles and eel-like machines that patrol waterways.

“Terminator Salvation” isn’t as novel as “The Terminator” or as groundbreaking as “Terminator 2: Judgment Day,” but it is a solidly made action film that spins a good yarn while building on the already impressive mythology of series. It’s also a considerable upgrade from “Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines.”

The only DVD extra is a digital copy of the film.

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
2½ stars
Rated PG for mild action and brief language
20th Century Fox
Available on: DVD and Blu-ray

“Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian” has only one major flaw: It’s not that different from its predecessor.

Although hardly brilliant, the original “Night at the Museum” got points for a clever premise, which saw exhibits at the American Museum of Natural History come to life at night. “Battle of the Smithsonian” is just as well produced and acted as the original, but it never rises above mildly entertaining because there are no surprises.

Most of the players from the original film, including museum security guard Larry Daley (Ben Stiller), are back for round two, but the dynamic has changed because Larry has become a huge success selling wacky inventions on television infomercials. Still, he misses his adventures at the museum, so he returns periodically to visit with the exhibits. Then, due to museum updates, a number of the exhibits are shipped to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., along with the ancient artifact responsible for bringing them to life.

It’s not long before Larry gets a call from the miniature cowboy Jedediah (Owen Wilson), explaining that exhibits at the Smithsonian are now coming to life and that an evil pharaoh is attacking him and Larry’s other pals. Soon, Larry is at the Smithsonian taking part in another wild adventure that this time involves Amelia Earhart (Amy Adams) and General George Custer (Bill Hader).

“Battle of the Smithsonian” has great special effects and a strong enough cast to make it work well as mindless entertainment. Sadly, one gets the feeling that it could have been better had director Shawn Levy insisted on a deeper and more original screenplay.

The movie is available as part of multiple home video releases, including a three-disc set containing Blu-ray, DVD and digital copies of the film. Extra features vary.

ALSO OUT THIS WEEK

“A Christmas Tale” (“Un conte de Noel”): Criterion Collection release of director Arnaud Desplechin’s 2008 film about a dysfunctional family that gathers at Christmas, learning that its matriarch (Catherine Deneuve) needs a bone marrow transplant from a blood relative. Presented in French with English subtitles.

“Paper Heart”: Combination of documentary and traditional storytelling focused on Charlyne Yi’s (“Knocked Up”) travels across America to find the meaning of love. In her search, she meets Michael Cera (“Juno,” “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist”) who challenges her feelings on the subject.

“2 Turntables and a Microphone: The Life and Death of Jam Master Jay”: Documentary about the unsolved murder of hip-hop DJ Jason Mizell, a.k.a. Jam Master Jay. Interviews with 50 Cent, Run-DMC, Russell Simmons and Ja Rule shed light on the DJ’s life.

“The Brooklyn Heist”: Sharing the same hatred for a local pawnshop owner, three teams of amateur criminals arrange to break into her safe and steal her riches. Unbeknownst to each other, they are all planning the heist on the same night. The offbeat feature is directed by Julian M. Kheel.

“Death Warrior”: Mixed Martial Arts experts, including Georges “Rush” St-Pierre (current UFC Welterweight Champion) and Keith “The Dean of Mean” Jardine (current UFC Light Heavyweight fighter), play combatants who are lured into the dangerous world of underground cage fighting to save the lives of their loved ones.

“Pale Force”: Series of animated shorts about superheroes whose special powers are limited to paleness. Comedians Jim Gaffigan and Conan O’Brien star.

Forrest Hartman is an independent film critic whose byline has appeared in some of the nation’s largest publications. E-mail him at Forrest@ForrestHartman.com

I just finished watching the film Cross of Iron (1977) and I must say it now ranks as one of the best war/anti-war films I have seen. It demonstrates what is, to me, the essence of the genre. That the particulars of time and place, nationality and politics are all irrelevant. That the setting is merely a vehicle for the examination of the best and worst to be found in humanity, which is brought about through the unimaginable insanity of the situations in which the players find themselves.

From the film’s commentary:

“The destructive violence shown here is endless. It’s an eternal cycle throughout history, just as the tendency towards Fascism, embrace of authority, super-patriotism, and its use to oppress others is always present in human history. The battlefield is eternal. It’s Peckinpah’s metaphor for human life, and it’s why his outlook is so grim and alienated.”

“[Steiner's speech] is enigmatic, but the main idea is that politics can never work. That all of the political systems – National Socialism, Communism (and by implication, Capitalism) – which promise to free and empower people are lies, and merely new forms of enslavement. All are violence without mind – accidents – temporary forms of power thrown up by history and all are doomed to failure. No-man’s land, where Steiner says they stand, is the only enduring reality. But the individual can’t long survive there.”

“Peckinpah is in a deeply dark place, with no evident means to escape it. The despair is total! Psychological, political, emotional. No American film-maker has shown WWII with such absolute, uncompromising despair. It’s no wonder therefore that American audiences didn’t like this movie.”

-Stephen Prince, author of Savage Cinema: Sam Peckinpah and the Rise of Ultraviolent Movies

PRECIOUS is about love and the acceptance that comes when you put the darkness behind you forever.

It’s about a sick twisted obsession that allows a mother to not only sanction her boyfriend’s sexual, emotional and physical abuse of her own daughter, but it supposedly entitles her to be an active participant as well.

It also concerns a young girl’s search for a real family – and the genuine caring she receives from the people that she meets as she strives to break free from this devastating cycle of bitter hatred.

CLAIREECE JONES (GABOUREY SIDIBE) is sixteen years old and living in Harlem during the late 80s. She was nicknamed PRECIOUS as a child (somewhat ironically) by her own mother.

Her life is full of pain and misery. She had a baby with her mother’s boyfriend and she’s pregnamt again. MARY (Mo’NIQUE) is a nasty combination of poisonous contradictions. She has some positive feelings for her daughter but she also loathes her outright.

She’s a needy, arrogant, ruthless mess who is determined to keep Precious down. Mary feels that she has to have someone to take care of her so she spends every waking minute undermining Precious’ self esteem and peace of mind.

She tells her that she’s ugly and worthless – that no one will ever want her. She throws things at her daughter and beats her. Despite all of her setbacks, Precious is keeping it on a reasonably even keel. She possesses an easy comprehension of math. So her grades are fine even though she’s barely literate. But she’s still stuck in junior high.

Mary is threatened by the girl’s intelligence and eagerness to learn. She wants Precious out of school and on welfare like her. Then her daughter can attend to more important things – like cooking, cleaning and taking care of her children.

But Precious dreams of a better life. She is bright and beautiful – inside and out. Much more than she knows. No matter how horrible things get, she possesses an inner core of strength that never fails her. She will not back down and she will find a way out.

It’s only a matter of time…

It all begins when a counsellor at school calls her in and asks her about her second pregnancy. Precious can admit to that but she refuses to talk about anything else.

The counsellor wants to book an appointment for Mary. Precious knows that there is no way that her mother will agree to come. So the woman tells Precious that she is suspended. She will go to her home and have a discussion with Mary. Precious is fully aware that that can never happen.

When the counsellor arrives outside and starts talking on the intercom, Precious lies and says that Mary has gone out. She tells Precious that she has a lot of potential and recommends an alternative school where she can obtain a GED. She explains where she has to go and when. Then the woman leaves.

Precious is understandably anxious and fearful. Not only does she think she’s not good enough, but she knows exactly what Mary’s opinion will be. With some trepidation, she travels to another section of New York. The educational institute is on the top floor of one of the city’s lesser hotels.

It’s a small class of bitchy caustic girls. However, they’re all determined to make something of themselves.

Precious’ life is changed by a dedicated teacher that wants to see her succeed. MS. RAIN (PAULA PATTON) is her strong protective angel who is there for her whenever she needs her. She never expects anything in return and does it all out of kindness and simple decency.

Precious is shocked to discover that Ms. Rain and her girlfriend KATHERINE (KIMBERLY RUSSELL) are lesbians. Mary always told her to stay away from gay people.

(Even more hypocrisy. In one of her final incendiary confrontations with Mary, Precious exclaims: “You always told me that gay people were bad. What does that make you, Momma?”)

Due to these two courageous young women, Precious feels contentment and serenity for the very first time in a tragically tumultuous existence.

Precious periodically devotes herself to thinking about what it would be like if she had been born into a different set of circumstances. One of her favourite possessions is a glittery red scarf. It’s her connection to glamour and another way of living. When she confidently passes her prized accessory on to another neighbourhood girl, you know that she’s going to be all right.

PRECIOUS is based on the novel PUSH by SAPPHIRE.

Director LEE DANIELS has fabulous instincts and he’s an incredible actors’ director. The film is filled with stylistic touches that make this story mesmerizingly watchable. It could easily have been too harrowing, horrendous and heartbreaking.

But it is infused with so much warmth, humour and humanity that it’s a greatly engaging cinematic experience.

There has been some grumbling about the fantasy sequences. But they are all extremely well integrated and they provide a much deserved break from the somber subject matter.

There is excellent acting from all of the major cast members – newcomer XOSHA ROQUEMORE, SHERRI SHEPHERD, LENNY KRAVITZ and an impressive (almost unrecognizable) MARIAH CAREY.

But there are three magnificent powerful performances at the centre of this tremendous film.

PAULA PATTON is enormously moving and an exceptionally elegant presence.

If anyone is familiar with Mo’NIQUE’S comedic work or standup routines, they are aware of what a warm, witty, hilarious person she is.

There is not a trace of any of those characteristics in MARY. In the final scene in the welfare office, all of her fury, hubris and savagery disappear. She is a monster. No question. But the mask is gone – leaving a pathetic creature who is emotionally scarred and driven by her own misguided selfishness.

Men like Mary’s boyfriend should be castrated without anesthetic. Women like her deserve worse. But when you view that sequence you can understand how it all happened.

Finally, there have been a number of majestic movie debuts where actors have done extraordinarily memorable work. GABOUREY SIDIBE gives such a performance. She’s fantastic. People will be talking about her for decades.

She’s gorgeous and wonderfully talented. She is going to be a very important character actor – at the very least.

PRECIOUS is more than a frightening glimpse into one teenager’s personal hell. It’s a movie with heart and supreme grace.

It should not be missed by anyone.

A man-devouring succubus possesses a cheerleader: can’t go wrong right? Wrong. To be fair this film knows roughly what it’s trying to achieve. However Jennifer’s Body tries so hard to overwhelm its audience with humour, sexuality and horror that it fails to accomplish anything. Essentially stereotypical ‘it girl’ Jennifer (Megan Fox) and equally stereotypically ‘geeky’ Needy (Amanda Seyfried) have been close friends since they were children, despite their apparent differences. That is until an unfortunate and mysterious evening where Jennifer becomes the victim of satanic forces. Needy soon discovers that her once beloved friend has become a demonic fiend, with her fangs set on the flesh of teenager boys: and not afraid of using her looks to achieve these ends. Horrified by these and future events, Needy realises that she must bring down Jennifer. Genuinely funny moments are in short supply. Jennifer’s Body desperately panders to a teenager audience, with rarely any dialogue passing without cringingly current ‘youth’ slang. Megan Fox is also obviously present to exploit potential male audiences: which would be fine if this film wasn’t so bland.

2 out of 10.

Warning this review rant  contains plot spoilers.

I sat down to write a review of law abiding citizen but to be honest the film is so bad, I really can’t be bothered to spend the time on a proper review. The problems with it are: Morally the film has little to offer and any message it may have for good or bad is clouded by a ridiculously convoluted and contrived (I think contrived, is my most overused word this month!) plot. The twist, if you can call it that is ludicrous and adds nothing to the film.

All this could be overlooked if the film was entertaining and well made, but sadly it isn’t! and here comes the plot spoiler: The plot involves a geniuses mastermind who kills numerous people whilst being locked in a prison cell. He plants a bomb to kill a group of people who can’t be evacuated because he has tapped into the security camera and will blow the bomb if they try to leave. However he doesn’t think to have camera pointed at the bomb or have a motion detector on it to prevent someone from moving it. And finally most of the plot and the action is in the trailer so if you have seen the trailer you really don’t need to see the film.

But don’t let me put you off, it has had some okay reviews. If I have put you off and you want a revenge thriller Harry Brown is a considerably better film if almost as morally questionable.

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

The ape using a tool and taking an early step in the long odyssey of man.

When taken seriously there can be massive depth and cultural significance in commentary such as that which is present in 2001: A Space Odyssey. Moore’s law of singularity and such warnings toward the speed of technology can provide for both fascinating science fiction and, if framed properly, alarming scientific reality. But that is just part of what this film is trying tackle. In the hands of the late great Stanley Kubrick (Dr. Strangelove, A Clockwork Orange), we get a visually stunning and remarkably thought-provoking cornerstone of American film. 2001: A Space Odyssey is everything; it is science fiction, it is conflict, it is horror, it is suspense, it is existentialism, it could even be religion, and it is visually immaculate. Its pace puts me in a trance every single time I see it and it forces me to watch like a tractor beam.

The monolith appears periodically throughout the film.

It is based on the Arthur C. Clark novel of the same name. Clark also helped Kubrick with the screenplay and went on to write three subsequent novels (2010: Odyssey Two, 2061: Odyssey Three, and 3001 The Final Odyssey) with just one turning into a subsequent film version. The film comments on various themes, from evolution and man-made intelligence to extraterrestrial life. As wonderful and thought-provoking as the story is, the film is also groundbreaking in terms of its special effects, its general visual style and imagery, and its unique and unpredictable narrative. Although those elements are Kubrick staples for sure, 2001: A Space Odyssey stands out as quite possibly his greatest achievement and for my money within the top ten or even top five films of all-time.

"I'm afraid. I'm afraid, Dave. Dave, my mind is going. I can feel it. I can feel it. My mind is going. There is no question about it. I can feel it. I can feel it. I can feel it. I'm a... fraid."

Different interpretations of this film exist in all pockets of all cultures. They run the gamut from the film being too profound to explain in any message beyond Kubrick’s creation, to Clarke’s more detailed science fiction from the novel, to various allegorical explanations, and to it being some kind of scientific pondering of God and man’s existence. I pick up on new things every single time I see it and I wouldn’t dare attempt to construct or impose my interpretation here, but Kubrick’s film is definitely worth letting it grip you tightly.

The star child; potentially mankind reborn and space bound, looking back on Earth, the place of his origin and odyssey so far.

Besides, no film shows us the depth of our creations while justifying our apprehension in creating them with more clarity, and I mean that both literally and visually. If you are going to buy this film you may as well have it on the best format humans have created thus far, as I’m quite sure Kubrick intended for all of his work to be watched in optimum definition. Don’t worry though, your blu-ray player or Playstation 3 won’t attempt to kill you. At least not yet.

My rating is 5 out of 5 stars.

Street President

Originally uploaded by NollywoodForever

Street President ~ 2009
Story, Screenplay and Direction – Tchidi Chikere

Starring:
Mike Ezuruonye – Matthew
Tchidi Chikere – Spirit
Chika Ike – Nene
Jimmy B – Doug (Jimmy Y Bangura)
Ijeoma Azuka – Abel
Ed Nnasor – Mr Johnson
Collette Nkem Orji – Calista
Jospeh Mike – Doctor
Chinaza Ekpere – Rice Seller

Themes:
Passion
Karma
Sacrifice
Family
Love

My Rating – 56%

A poor local boy called Matthew; after finding out that serious money is to be made from fighting on the street enters a local competition. He wins his first fight, makes some money and gets himself a manager, Doug. Soon he becomes a feared and renowned street fighter called Street President or “Preso” as his manager calls him. Tied to the streets it is only the love of a woman that takes him out of it, but the pull is strong and though his body is out of the streets his mind is still there.

*************SPOILERS*************

You know it’s a Tchidi movie when as soon as you pop the disc into the player you are assaulted by his music. First we see the video for his telephone single. You know that tune used to get on my nerves. Now I find myself singing it. I swear I know all the words! The self promotion doesn’t end there. There is a next tune and then the plugging of the album GOLD. See I know the name of it. Shameless plugging does work.
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Does Matthew not think it odd that the guy pushing himself to become his manager dashed away his current charge, a millisecond after the guy lost the fight to run after a new anonymous guy who he has only seen fight ONCE? I guess this was meant to show us that Matthew was that good a fighter. To me it was not believable and Matthew should have at least pulled him up on that, because the same way he dashed the guy that he was managing would be the same way he could dash Matthew in the event that he lost a fight in future.

Added to that how are we meant to believe that Matthew is a formidable street fighter and his physique does not even match? Nonsense! Casting correctly is essential. Acting well is one thing, but the person chosen has to really fit the role and I don’t believe Mike fit the role.

Matthew is an orphan, didn’t pass secondary school, lives in an unfinished building and is desperate for cash. Why on earth does he look so clean, well dressed and then to top it off well spoken? He did not make a believable street boy to me at all. I thought he was too much of a pretty boy for the role and even then they could have had him looking and sounding rough and local like the other street fighters we see in the movie.

So Mike falls ill with hypertension. He is a young man and supposedly fit enough to be a street fighter and he has hypertension all of a sudden – YEAH RIGHT! That would be very odd, and there is no explanation as to what would have caused a fit and healthy young man to be suffering from hypertension to the extent that he is fainting in the street and has to stop fighting.
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So many things were just unrealistic in this movie. We are given the impression that Doug truly does not like his “baby mama” as he calls her but then one day they get back together all of a sudden. I found it all so fake. When Doug would go and visit the son he was made to talk to him outside of the compound because his mother did not like him or want him in the house. She found his lifestyle abhorrent and was not in support of it.

I could believe that she started falling for him again because of the immense love he was showing towards his son, but no when she tells him that she has not stopped loving him, on one of the outside the compound visits she tells him that she wants him back because of the fact that he son loves and accepts him for who he is and so she will too. Rubbish! Why all of a sudden do you think street fighting and smoking is ok when you didn’t previously? A kid will accept his father no matter what, even if he is a killer. Since when do adults measure their actions and decisions on a kid’s?
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The time line in this movie was fugged! In part 2 Matthew stands up to his bully boss and tells him, “I’m that kid they call the Street President because I mad my name on the streets.” However we never see him winning numerous fights or making this name he is boasting about. Pretty much as soon as he started he got into the fighting game he got hypertension, fell in love with Nene and came out of the biz. Perhaps more effort should have gone into mentioning previous wins even if they were not going to be shown, so that we could get an idea of how big his reputation was before this scene.

In Part 2 Matthew and Nene break up because of his flirtations with a girl in his dance class. Even the execution of this was disappointing. Matthew had never shown signs throughout the film of being a womaniser in any way. Even when Calista approaches him in the street and is madly flirting with him he seems not to notice or be interested in her. So how on earth did he go from not even noticing her when she was throwing herself at him to practically drooling over and molesting her during an aerobics class ALL ON THE SAME DAY? This did not make sense at all.
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I liked the girl who played the orange seller in the movie. I’m assuming she is credited as the rice seller as I don’t remember any rice seller, so for now let us assume her name is Chinaza Ekpere unless Chinaza comes to come and debunk that. Her role was small but she played it well, interpreting fear without overacting it as would have been so easy. I’d like to see her in a bigger role to see what she can really do.

Collette Nkem Orji played Calista and her performance was on point. (When will the majority of credits be correct in Nollywood? They spelt this poor girl’s name wrong and I only found out the right spelling through facebook) She was that girl that everybody loves to hate; the man snatcher, the unrepentant cheat, materialistic and cocky with it. I think she has a natural comic ability. In one scene near the end of the movie she packs out of her boyfriend’s house and goes to meet Matthew, assuming that he has money and is staying in a hotel. When she finds out that he too is homeless she freaks out. He tries to calm her down,

“Money will come”

“Eh heh, money will come?” she says walking away.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m going far away from this your shit life.”

Karma is indeed a bitch because she runs back to her ex boyfriend that she left for Matthew and he refuses to let her back into the compound. Instead of begging she starts abusing him. This scene had to be the funniest in the movie. She is outside with nowhere to go; bag packed and starts screaming,

“According to you, now you have dumped me. Can you dump me? Do I look like someone you can dump – rubbish!”

After all that she mumbles to herself,

“Eh God! I don fock op!”

Mike’s performance was adequate in that he did his thing but the characterisation was all wrong. Chika Ike was just there. I find her such a boring actress. She has no charisma at all. Jimmy B was good but could have been better without all the Americanisms, but then that was probably scripted so not really his fault. Tchidi did well keeping to a minor role. He actually wasn’t bad at all.
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I would say the movie is worth watching if you have nothing better to do. The story line was something different to the usual and in spite of all the things that were nonsensical it is an entertaining watch. I guess the message it was trying to put out there was that people should be accepted for who they are because some things can never been changed and even if they are it is only temporary.

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